Impact Matters #04: COP, solar innovation, climate action, and entrepreneurship.

Here's what you should know in this edition:

• Watch how Akajumbura dairy farmers tackle a milk cooling challenge. 🌞🥛
• See SNV collaborating on climate action at COP16 and COP29.
• Discover Sreybo’s entrepreneurial journey from hesitation to success in clean cooking.

What to follow:

1. Transforming milk production with solar power

With support from the SEFFA project, the farmers of the Akajumbura Dairy Cooperative found a sustainable solution to a critical challenge. By installing a solar hybrid system, they can cool up to 5,300 litres of milk in just six hours, transforming their daily operations and boosting their livelihoods.

This change has not only boosted milk production but also encouraged more farmers, including young people and women, to join the cooperative. A story of progress and community growth.

(Click "Accept once" below to watch the video)

2. Driving progress on climate finance at COP16 and COP29

COP16 marked a pivotal moment addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity crises. These crises are interlinked, with climate change affecting food production and biodiversity, and biodiversity loss exacerbating food insecurity and climate change. It was a ‘People’s COP,’ with significant civil society engagement and ambitious financial pledges, offering renewed hope for ecological protection. (watch below our colleague Harco Koster highlight of our participation at COP16)

Building on this momentum, COP29, held from 11 to 22 November 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan, focused on the theme ‘Enhance Ambition and Enable Action.’ The conference brought together world leaders and stakeholders to drive progress on scaling climate finance, reducing emissions, and protecting vulnerable communities. Check out our key takeaways on snv.org. (Read)

3. One woman’s journey to empowerment

Lay Sreybo, 39, owns a small shop named after herself in the bustling Smao Ambok market in Banteay Meas district, Cambodia. She sells electrical products like cookstoves, rice cookers, and kettles, along with shoes and household items.

Despite her entrepreneurial spirit, Sreybo is reserved. Her quietness made it hard to apply for funding to expand her business. When she first heard about the Higher Tier Cooking Component (HTCC) Innovation Fund and Result-Based Financing (RBF) for SMEs, she hesitated... continue reading

Featured contributions

Cost recovery in urban sanitation.

Our team collaborated with the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) on an article published on nature.com. It proposes sustainable financing principles, including tariffs, taxes, and transfers (3Ts), predictable public investment, and alternative cost perspectives.  

Guidance for climate-resilient projects.

SNV projects provide practical guidance for the Green Climate Fund on integrating mitigation and adaptation strategies, securing funding, and involving communities. (Read)

Quoted

‘In Mozambique’s rural areas, nearly half of the population uses an unimproved latrine (45.1%).’

IOF Report 2019-2020.

Discover how climate-proof toilets are improving lives in Mozambique. (Read)

Open Vacancies

1. Country Director – Mali
2. Project Coordinator – Vietnam
3. Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Expert – South Sudan

And more on our new careers site.

That's all for 2024

Thank you for being part of our first four editions this year. We wish you a joyful and rewarding new year!

Stay tuned for more exciting updates in the coming year, and don’t forget to share your thoughts and feedback with us.