Vienna, 26 March 2025 – The “Energy Efficiency for Sustainable Livelihoods in Africa” (EELA) Programme, implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), was officially launched at the Sweden House in Vienna.  

The event was hosted by Annika Lisa Markovic, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sweden to UNIDO and brought together high-level representatives from the programme’s partner organizations, including Gerd Müller, Director General of UNIDO, Rana Ghoneim, Chief of the Energy and Climate Action Division of UNIDO, Karin Reiss-Haimbala, EELA Programme Manager of UNIDO, Benson Munyaradzi, Chief Director at Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Energy and Power Development, Caroline Bastholm, Advisor and Programme Manager at Swedish Power Africa, Sida, and Niclas Carlsson, Head of International Business Development at the Swedish Energy Agency. 

Building on the foundation of the EELA Project, which has been successfully implemented since 2019 in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East African Community (EAC) regions, the newly scaled-up EELA Programme now extends its reach to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and introduces a broader spectrum of synergistic energy efficiency interventions, promising transformative impacts at both regional and national levels. Aligned with UNIDO’s Regional Approach for Africa, EELA emphasizes harmonized action across continental, regional and national frameworks, leveraging sustainable energy as a key driver for growth and climate action.  

Fully aligned with the AfCFTA's goals, the Africa Union Industrialization Strategy, and Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, and implemented under the umbrella of the UNIDO African Regional Strategy, EELA advances initiatives that reduce environmental impact, create green jobs, foster inclusive economic development, and promote gender equality. 

Among the interventions currently under development through the EELA Programme, introduced during the event, is the Industrial Clean-Tech Platform (ICTP), a digital infrastructure designed to accelerate the adoption of energy efficiency technologies and solutions, fostering partnerships, and stimulating investment. Hosted by partnering manufacturing associations, this one-stop-shop platform will offer African industries with access to innovative technologies at competitive prices, along with investment planning tools and catalytic grants to support technology adoption as well as private sector collaboration. 

In his keynote address, Gerd Müller underscored the transformative potential of energy efficiency in enabling sustainable livelihood opportunities and finally drive a resilient green industrialization over the long-term. “Energy is the basic foundation of development. Without energy, there is no industrialization, no economy, no jobs.“ He continued: “Too many appliances and pieces of industrial equipment available in African markets are inefficient and outdated. This leads to high energy costs, waste of power and blocks African industries from being competitive. This is why energy efficiency is so important.” He thanked the Government of Sweden and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) for their unwavering support, stressing that Sweden is a “strong and active partner of UNIDO and this €20 million EELA initiative represents a new level of our cooperation. It is the largest contribution that UNIDO has ever received from Sweden for technical cooperation.” He also thanked the Regional Sustainable Energy Centers and the partner countries for making this programme a reality, inviting other countries and donors to join. 

Annika Lisa Markovic shared her insights on Sweden’s commitment to advancing energy efficiency policies and practices in Africa: “Energy Efficiency for Sustainable Livelihoods in Africa” is a bold and transformative programme aiming to accelerate sustainable economic growth through partnerships between governments, the private sector and key organizations. By enhancing African industries’ access to sustainable and high-tech solutions from Sweden, Europe and beyond, this programme aims to support their growth and help local businesses position themselves competitively on both domestic and international markets.”

For more information, please contact: 

Karin Reiss 

Industrial Development Officer

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