Advancing Goal 7: Solutions for Catalyzing Clean Energy Worldwide

Clean energy plays a key role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and helping communities access reliable power sources. On the occasion of the International Day of Clean Energy 2025, celebrated on 26 January, we highlight some of the most innovative clean energy solutions across the globe.

Addressing Waste Management in Kenya

To address critical challenges in Kenya including poor solid waste management, youth unemployment, soil degradation, and food insecurity, the EcoBio Fertilizer project based out of Nairobi is an innovative solution that converts waste biomass into fertilizer. By converting biomass waste into nutrient-rich organic fertilizer using patented biodegradable enzyme technology, the project leverages solar-powered high-heat decomposition chambers with innovative CO₂ and nitrogen-fixing systems. The process decomposes 10 tons of biomass in just 15 – 20 days, producing 300 bags of fertilizer per cycle. This initiative has reduced 1,500 tons of biomass waste, improved crop yields by 40% – 70%, and restored 30% of arable land annually. The project has also helped to create green jobs, increase farmer incomes, and educate communities on sustainable waste management, benefiting schools and grassroots associations while promoting policy advocacy.

Transforming Barbados’ Transportation Sector

Across the Atlantic Ocean in Barbados, Dr. Legena Henry and her team from SDSN Caribbean’s host institution, the University of the West Indies (UWI), have made it their mission to help transform the island nation’s transportation sector to become fossil-fuel free by 2030 through their Rum & Sargassum project.  By using local rum distillery wastewater and testing it with harvested sargassum seaweed from local beaches, they are able to it into bio-methane, a biofuel alternative with the potential to avoid up to 1 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions annually. Additionally, the project reduces waste in a water-scarce country, saves tourism-based businesses by keeping sargassum off beaches, and repurposes rum distillery wastewater.

Photo credit: Rum & Sargassum Project

Enhancing Access to Safe Drinking Water in South Africa

SDSN South Africa’s Team Tujenge, based out of the University of Pretoria, are working to help people across sub-Saharan Africa who struggle to access clean, drinkable water. The team has developed a small-scale, solar-powered water purification system using plasma technology to disinfect water and provide clean and safe drinking water to communities across the region. The system units can be deployed in remote and rural areas with no access to electricity, which are common across the region.

Deploying Renewable Energies in Spain

The Renewables with the Territory project, led by SDSN Spain, aims to co-create a shared vision among key actors on how the deployment of renewable energies in the country should be until 2030 and 2050. The initiative has developed a roadmap which includes 50 concrete actions to guide policymakers and other key actors in the sector around the deployment of renewable energies across the country.

Repurposing Offshore Oil Platforms into Wind Energy Installations

Led by students from Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) in Brazil, the project OG2OW: Recommissioning Oil & Gas Platforms to Offshore Wind Energy aims to merge existing infrastructure with innovative technologies to bridge the gap between traditional and new-generation solutions. OG20W has developed an interactive tool that promotes offshore wind for green hydrogen and ammonia production while also advocating for repurposing pipelines for environmental benefits. It integrates macroalgae cultivation on wind structures for ecological innovation, aiming to extend platform lifespans, reduce costs, and advance toward the SDGs.

The International Day of Clean Energy may be one day a year, but the challenges facing our planet require dedicated actions and innovative solutions every day.

Authors: Marta Garcia-Haro and Julianna Gil, Sustainable Development Solutions Network