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Our approach

Forging clear pathways to scale

We deploy our resources deliberately to encourage innovation and scale clean energy solutions to reach millions of people in Africa and Asia

Strategies for deploying resources

Three clear strategies for deploying our resources

We focus on success with three core people in mind and the potential to materially increase their incomes with clean energy

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Fostering Innovation

Fostering Innovation

Shell Foundation fosters innovations that can raise incomes with lower emissions. Rooted in a customer lens and robust investment strategy, we support innovative businesses providing income-generating clean energy technologies, with the potential to reach millions of people in ways that are commercially viable.

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Scale Partnerships

Scale Partnerships

We scale viable clean energy innovations by brokering partnerships with large companies, cooperatives and others already serving millions of customers. We collaborate on research and development and supply chain initiatives that provide scaled market access.

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Mobilising Catalytic Finance

Mobilising Catalytic Finance

We mobilise finance for innovation and scale from concessional and commercial sources. We use our expertise and experience to present the investment case in energy access solutions, our concessional capital to de-risk opportunities and unlock commercial funding, and our understanding of markets and business to develop and scale new and appropriate financing mechanisms.

We’re focused on finding ways to narrow the financing and digital infrastructure gap across the continent of Africa. Through our collaboration with Shell Foundation, Community Pass digital infrastructure enables affordable credit to smallholder farmers so that they can buy clean energy assets. This is a vital step toward increasing incomes for farmers and helping make their communities more resilient.”

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Tara Nathan, Founder of Community Pass

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Commitment to gender

We support and invest in gender inclusive solutions

Shell Foundation applies gender intentionality across all areas of its operations to increase access to products, resources and finance for women and entrepreneurs.

Evidence shows that diverse and inclusive companies are more commercially viable, innovative and resilient.

Our 20+ years cumulative track record of social and environmental impact

274.4 M
Lives improved
67.5 M
Metric tonnes of CO2 reduced or avoided
$ 9.7 BN
Additional finance leveraged into clean energy solutions

We are committed to sharing learning, opinion and news

Shell Foundation shares insights to encourage faster progress in the social investment sector. These include learnings from our work – including successes and failures – opinion pieces on sector trends and opportunities, and news from across our portfolio.