Browsing by Author "Fetter, Rob"

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Open Access
Building a Common Approach: Global Infrastructure Standards
(2022-06-21) Losos, Liz; Fetter, Rob
Well-planned, -designed, and -built infrastructure projects are critically needed to improve economic productivity, transition to a low-carbon economy, mitigate environmental risks, and promote human rights and social inclusion. Both public- and private-sector investors are increasingly designating funds for these types of infrastructure projects. Yet sustainable, quality infrastructure is still not being constructed at nearly the rate needed, especially in developing and emerging economies. A persistent barrier is the absence of a reliable and widely recognized global standard for identifying “bankable” infrastructure projects with low environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks; high debt transparency; and reliable economic returns. Building a Common Approach: Global Infrastructure Standards examines three new initiatives—Blue Dot Network, FAST-Infra, and Green Development Guidance—that have been independently developed to create a global standard to mobilize capital for sustainable, quality infrastructure projects. The report maps out the rationale, approach, and technical aspects of each to better understand how they compare. The three initiatives are releasing standards in close proximity, which could create confusion and undermine their collective objective of advancing sustainable, quality infrastructure. This report offers nine recommendations to reduce competition and promote a common approach. With coordination, all three initiatives could thrive and the sum of their efforts would expand sustainable, quality infrastructure adoption globally.
Open Access
The True Cost of Solar Tariffs in East Africa
(2019-02-05) Fetter, Rob; Phillips, Jonathan
Over a billion people around the world continue to lack access to basic electricity, many of them unlikely to be connected to the grid for years or decades. Pay-as-you-go solar home systems (SHS)—kits that consumers can frequently purchase on credit that include a small solar panel, battery, light bulbs and wires, phone charging equipment, and sometimes televisions and other appliances—have quickly become a viable, private sector-driven solution that empowers consumers to take control of their energy future. Many low- and middle-income governments look to import duties and value-added taxes (VAT) to fund critical government services and the bulk of SHS equipment is produced in China. As sales of systems have grown, the question of how these systems should be treated under border taxation regimes has become a prominent issue. To better understand the trade-offs at stake, actual sales data for 700,000 units of solar home systems was collected from Uganda and Kenya, countries with vibrant SHS markets and where the border tariff debate looms large. The data was analyzed to measure the price sensitivity of consumers of two different SHS product lines in order to better understand the impact of tariffs on system sales as well as broader ramifications for households, electrification goals, and government revenue. More about this project can be found on the Energy Access Project site.