Enablers
UNHCR Green Financing Facility
With support from Sweden, UNHCR’s Green Financing Facility brings clean, reliable energy to fragile contexts - cutting emissions, improving cost-efficiency, and unlocking private investment to strengthen local markets.
Contributions
With the Green Financing Facility (GFF), UNHCR is cutting emissions by 50–1,000 tons CO₂ per site annually. The initiative results in up to 60 % more efficient use of humanitarian aid money. The model mobilizes private investment, strengthens local energy markets and improves livelihoods in host communities.
Urgency/Challenges
UNHCR leads international action to protect people forced to flee from violence and conflict estimated to 123 million people worldwide (by the end 2024). Many UNHCR offices are located in fragile and conflict affected contexts with unreliable power supply, forcing dependence on expensive and polluting diesel generators. The UNHCR budget structure makes it challenging to enter into long term agreements with the private sector or to pay for high up-front capital expenditures. The Green Financing Facility addresses these challenges by offering scalable, long-term solutions.
Success factors
Swedish development aid has been instrumental for establishing the UNHCR Green Financing Facility. In 2019, Sida provided USD 4 million in catalytic seed funding, enabling UNHCR to develop the financial model and attract significant co-funding—including USD 23.7 million from IKEA Foundation. Sweden’s contribution also supported the development of procurement templates that help private companies operate in fragile contexts.
Team Sweden
Sida initiated the Facility and helped catalyze additional donor and private investments.
