During COP28, the "Energy for Health" initiative took centre stage as a collaborative effort between IKEA Foundation and SELCO Foundation, launching a major public health infrastructure to improve healthcare facilities using solar power. This joint initiative aims to power 25,000 health facilities in India with sustainable and reliable energy, addressing the critical need for electrification in healthcare, especially in remote areas.
In our chat with Jolanda van Ginkel, Programme Manager, IKEA Foundation, we delve into the strategic vision behind this initiative, aligning with IKEA Foundation's mission to address poverty and climate change inequalities. Jolanda provides insights into the specific goals within the Indian context, emphasizing the commitment to strengthen healthcare delivery for over 170 million people through renewable energy solutions by 2026.
Further, the interview uncovers the financial foundation of this initiative, shedding light on IKEA Foundation's dedicated €48 million commitment and collaborative efforts with local Indian organizations. Jolanda also delves into IKEA Foundation's distinct contributions, challenges faced during solarization, and lessons learned from the SELCO Foundation partnership.
This initiative signifies a major leap in reshaping public health infrastructure for enhanced sustainability, bringing benefits to frontline healthcare workers and contributing to India's Net-Zero goals. Our conversation offers a thorough insight into IKEA Foundation's dedication to sustainable healthcare and the far-reaching influence of dependable energy on global health.
Delve deeper into IKEA Foundation's renewable energy impact in the full interview below.
Q&A
Q. How does the 'Energy for Health' initiative align with IKEA Foundation's broader vision to transform unfair systems, addressing inequalities related to poverty and climate change, and what specific goals and anticipated outcomes does the foundation aim to achieve within the Indian context through this initiative?
A. People and planet, the IKEA Foundation’s two strategic directions, are at the core of this partnership. With the health of people at the heart of this partnerships’ strategy it provides solutions for a healthy planet.
The goal of this partnership is to strengthen delivery of healthcare for over 170 million people by powering 25,000 public health facilities with renewable energy in India by 2026. The programme is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 3 million tons over 20 years.
Not only will this programme integrate sustainable energy and efficient equipment into healthcare facilities – showing direct results on the ground. It will also test and establish systems and processes within health departments for ownership, management, and maintenance of the energy systems and appliances. The ultimate idea is that this approach can be replicated elsewhere in the world.
Q. Could you provide insights into the funding structure for the "Energy for Health" initiative, and are there other partnerships IKEA Foundation is engaged in to address energy-related issues in India?
A. The IKEA Foundation has committed €48 million, which is expected to leverage about two thirds of the implementation costs by Indian government sources and other private funders. We hope that this funding will deliver early results that act as a catalyst for others to support the initiative in future.
India is a very important country for the IKEA Foundation both in terms of our history as a foundation and our strategic priorities. Our India Liaison Office has been operational since 1 January 2023. The India Liaison Office gives us a base to strengthen our collaboration with the Indian government, all our partners in India and develop a more cohesive country-level strategy. The role of the office is to gather local market information at the request of the Leiden head office and pass this back for decision making.
India is additionally an important country for the IKEA Foundation’s Renewable Energy portfolio. We work together with more than ten organisations, all local or with local teams. These include CEEW, WRI, TERI, Sustain+(CiNi), CPI and Acumen, all of which are centred around energy as an enabler to improve livelihoods and resilience.
Q. Beyond financial investment, could you shed light on the distinctive contributions that IKEA Foundation brings to the collaborative efforts, differentiating its role in the "Energy for Health" program?
A. Partnerships are crucial to address the size of the challenges that we are trying to tackle. We cannot do it alone. At the IKEA Foundation, we see an important role for us to bring organisations within our network together.
Q. Could you provide insights into the specific challenges encountered during the solarization of the initial 2,000 health centers and the lessons learned from those experiences?
A. The programme is being implemented between 2023 and 2026, with the aim of replicating and scaling this approach worldwide. In addition to solar energy, an important part of the programme is to acquire energy-efficient equipment, in which SELCO Foundation has gained experience from a previous grant from the IKEA Foundation.
SELCO Foundation has showed that solar energy solutions not only cut emissions fast, but also ensure that quality health services can be provided in a timely and reliable manner. With innovations in energy efficient medical appliances, including vaccine cold chain equipment, baby warmers and maternal check-up kits, SELCO Foundation has shown that health facilities can optimise energy demand and reduce overall energy consumption by up to 60%. More specifically, SELCO’s experience from previously implemented solutions shows that lighting efficiency can be improved by 40-63%, cold chain/refrigeration efficiency by 56% and appliance efficiency for maternal/childcare by 53-93%.
These kinds of pushes greatly improve the cost of capital for solar systems (less panels are needed due to decreased energy demand) and the energy efficient appliances. This makes these solutions more affordable.
Finding sustainable operation and maintenance models, that ensure a running system in the long term, remains a challenge in the sector. This is a crucial element of this partnership. SELCO Foundation will test different models and processes – and those that work will be available as open-source solutions for others to use, in India or elsewhere in the world.
Q. Considering the challenges posed by India's size and underdevelopment, what tailored strategies and innovative approaches has IKEA Foundation devised to ensure the long-term sustainability of the initiative?
A. The IKEA Foundation believes partnering with local organisations is key. SELCO Foundation always puts people and communities most in need at the forefront of its work. It is effective at collaborating with a wide range of other organisations, both public and private, to better serve people in remote areas. SELCO Foundation has an excellent track record of delivering renewable energy access across India. The programme is designed in such way that systems will be running in the long-term, without active involvement of SELCO Foundation. Ownership is embedded with local stakeholders to ensure the long-term sustainability of the interventions.
Q. With a focus on design, can you elaborate on how IKEA Foundation utilizes its design DNA as a catalyst in the "Energy for Health" program, and what role does design play in IKEA's approach to energy solutions?
A. The IKEA Foundation is independent from other IKEA branded organisations, but we share the same values and passion for designing solutions that meet the needs of end-users.
At the IKEA Foundation we look at energy beyond the technological solution. We see renewable energy as an enabler for development – in a climate friendly way. We put end-users, such as patients and healthcare workers, at the core of our programmes to ensure we provide solutions that meet their needs and we leave no one behind. We advocate for renewable energy as it is in many cases such an obvious choice. It is more affordable, more reliable and cleaner than other forms of energy – and we can provide access to it more quickly in the places where it is needed.
We cannot speak on behalf of the IKEA business and its approach to energy solutions.
Q. Reflecting on the collaboration with Selco Foundation since 2018 and shared experiences during COVID-19, could you shed light on the key learnings and their applicability in the current context?
A. The IKEA Foundation has been supporting SELCO Foundation to bring renewable energy to underserved communities around India since 2017. In recent years much of our work together has focused on the healthcare sector, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, access to reliable energy was crucial for powering the ventilators and other essential appliances. We got to know SELCO Foundation as an organisation that integrates learnings on an ongoing basis into the work that they do. The main lessons taken for their work during COVID-19 are linked to the optimisation of energy-efficient appliances.
With innovations in energy efficient medical appliances, including vaccine cold chain equipment, baby warmers and maternal check-up kits, SELCO Foundation has shown that health facilities can optimise energy demand and reduce overall energy consumption by up to 60%. More specifically, SELCO’s experience from previously implemented solutions shows that lighting efficiency can be improved by 40-63%, cold chain/refrigeration efficiency by 56% and appliance efficiency for maternal/child-care by 53-93%. These kinds of pushes greatly improve the cost of capital for solar systems (less panels are needed due to decreased energy demand) and the energy efficient appliances. This makes these solutions more affordable.
Q. In the spirit of COP28's focus on "Together for Implementation," how can partnerships like yours leverage innovative renewable energy solutions to enhance healthcare access and promote sustainable development in vulnerable communities around the world?
A. We recognise that local realities differ around the world. Context matters greatly and no two countries – or even states and districts – are the same. But together with SELCO Foundation, we want to set the standard and develop models that can be replicated elsewhere in the world. We want to show how it can be done and set the standard of what renewable energy access can mean for climate and equity.
India is leading the way by showing promising, open-source solutions that can be implemented anywhere in the world. We encourage others to join us as this big problem is affecting so many people, not just in India.
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