The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) now considers climate change an emergency in East Africa, given the significant impact it has already had on the region. However, efforts to adapt to these changes have been slow, with most attention still focused on reducing emissions. The consequences of climate change have been particularly severe in Kenya and Ethiopia, while Uganda has recently made a greater effort to adapt.

Unfortunately, private sector investment in climate change adaptation has been insufficient. According to the Climate Policy Initiative, private investment in Ethiopia only covered 0.56% of the country’s climate finance needs in 2018, and in Kenya, only 4% of the needs were covered. The lack of private investment in Uganda has also been concerning. This is partly due to investors’ perception of the region as high risk.

To paint the real picture and offer insights into the role investors and innovators can play in accelerating private sector investment for physical climate adaptation solutions, GeoPoll collaborated with the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA), the Lemelson Foundation, and Weber Shandwick to carry out a multi-stage study in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda.

The study involved an extensive literature review, a representative survey of 5,000 respondents, and in-depth conversations with experts to provide rich insights into the climate adaptation investment ecosystem in East Africa.

About the report

The result of this study is a detailed report outlining the barriers and opportunities for investment in climate adaptation technologies in East Africa, as well as pathways for impact investors to fund innovative adaptation technologies in the sectors most impacted by the climate crisis: agriculture, health, and infrastructure.

It is a guide for decision-makers, offering practical recommendations to governments, investors, entrepreneurs, businesses, and organizations seeking to adopt radical climate protection technologies in East Africa. It provides an in-depth understanding of the challenges of the climate investment ecosystem and serves as a roadmap to seize opportunities and promote innovation in climate adaptation technologies and financial models.

Download the Report – Free

The Priming Private Sector Investment in Climate Adaptation Innovations in East Africa Report is an essential resource for anyone committed to solutions that safeguard the region from the consequences of climate change.

Fill in this form to get the report via email, for free.

Contact GeoPoll

Please contact us if you have any questions on this report and its methodology, or if you would like to learn more about GeoPoll’s research capabilities around the world.

The post REPORT: Private Sector Investment in Climate Adaptation Innovations in East Africa appeared first on GeoPoll.

GeoPoll collects data for everyone from global brands and media companies to governments and NGOs, and below we’ve highlighted some of our favorite projects of 2015. We’re excited to expand our country coverage, launch new product features, and work on more projects next year.  If you’re interested in learning more about GeoPoll’s data products or custom surveys, contact us today.

GeoPoll Top Five of 2015:

1. Kenya’s Analogue to Digital TV Migration: In 2015 Kenya underwent a transition from analogue to digital TV signal, meaning that all TV sets needed to acquire a set-top-box to access TV signal, when previously they were able to access stations through free-to-air analogue signals. The switch to digital gives Kenyans access to additional TV stations and better sound and picture quality, but there were also concerns over the cost of set-top-boxes being a barrier to access for many. GeoPoll covered this topic extensively: in January we reported on awareness of the switch and the percentage who had already switched to digital. We continued to run regular surveys on the topic and in March released our second report, finding that set-top-box penetration was still only 38% at a national level. Our final report demonstrated how set-top-box penetration has increased month-to-month through July 2015.
2. Assessing the Long-Term Impacts of Ebola: We began to conduct surveys surrounding the Ebola outbreak, its impact on food security, and perceptions of the response in 2014. Remote mobile surveys offer a unique solution for reaching those in areas which are difficult for on-the-ground researchers to access, and in 2015 we continued to send regular surveys to Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea with partners including the World Food Programme, Keystone Accountability, and USAID. With USAID, we used weekly and bi-weekly surveys to track the economic impacts of the outbreak in Sierra Leone and Liberia, and we’ve made the full dataset and interactive dashboard available here.  You can also view data collected with Keystone Accountability on perceptions of the disease here, and our case study with FEWS NET on the ongoing impact of Ebola on market operability.
3. The African Entrepreneurship Survey: In July, President Obama traveled to Kenya for the Global entrepreneurship Summit. GeoPoll partnered with the organizers of the summit, the Global Entrepreneurship Network and the US State Department, to survey African entrepreneurs themselves on the challenges and opportunities faced by those looking to start a business in Africa. We found that in addition to financial resources, entrepreneurs were looking for better facilities and services, and more training programs to help them grow their businesses. You can view the full report here.
4. Access to Finance for Electricity in Kenya: With USAID’s Development Credit Authority, GeoPoll used mobile surveys to explore the ability of Kenyans to finance the costs associated with connecting to the electric grid. Findings show that the majority of Kenyans do not have electricity in their homes, with cost being the largest barrier: of the 80% of respondents who cited cost as reason for not obtaining electricity, 91% cited up-front installation costs, specifically, as a barrier to access. With this information USAID DCA can better understand and address the gap in financing for electricity in Kenya. Read the case study here.
5. Perceptions of South Africa’s State of the Nation: The 2015 State of the Nation address by President Zuma was much anticipated: during the speech Zuma was heckled by members of the EFF party, and later on all members of another opposition party walked out of the speech.  In collaboration with TNS, GeoPoll send a national survey the very next morning to assess viewership and perceptions of the speech. We found that a high percentage, 85%, reported watching or listening to the speech, with respondents split on their attitudes towards Zuma: only about half (52%) said they were satisfied with the speech, and 47% said they had confidence in the government to accomplish what Zuma promised. Read the case study here.

BONUS: Regular reports on TV and radio consumption: Kantar-GeoPoll Media Measurement is the largest provider of overnight TV and radio ratings in Africa, and in 2015 we released regular reports on TV and radio ratings in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. You can find GeoPoll’s blogs on audience measurement here.

GeoPoll works with everyone from Fortune 500 companies to governments and nonprofits.  If you’re looking for a fast, reliable, and cost-effective data solution for your project in 2016 please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Happy New Year from the GeoPoll Team!

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