The global energy sector remains dominated by fossil fuels (Ritchie, 2021), which has led to an urgent need for a transition to sustainable, equitable energy systems to achieve the Paris Agreement to stay below the 1.5-degree global temperature rise (UNFCCC, 2015), mitigate climate change and reduce the negative effects of energy production. Globally 770 million people live without electricity (IEA, 2022), with the majority residing in Sub-Saharan Africa and developing Asia.
This study explores the transformative potential of decentralized renewable energy-based start-ups in the Global South that provide access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy products and services to underserved and off-grid communities. We study fair and sustainable energy transition through business models of Energy Entrepreneurs who aim to reduce energy poverty.
Business models specify how businesses create and capture value (Bohnsack et al., 2014). Various studies have explored the role of business models in the context of the energy transition however, in the context of Global South business model perspectives in energy communities has received little attention.
DSI-LAB is a research group at Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, specializing in digital technologies and sustainable business models.
