Solving the ESG & impact data challenge across 5 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

A prevalent issue faced by project developers in the realm of development finance is the complexity that arises when multiple capital providers are involved. Each has their own ESG and impact reporting requirements resulting in hundreds of indicators that often overlap and lack clear definitions across diverse sustainability standards. This complication is further exacerbated by data availability and quality issues in Sub-Saharan Africa. When Serengeti Energy called us, we were intrigued by the opportunity to address this challenge of combining ESG & impact data across the continent. 

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"leonardo helped us to build a solid data infrastructure that can be easily maintained over years. We solved major challenges on the way and were able to not only meet all our reporting requirements but also to gain insights that will make our products and services better."

Marian Grabowski, Head of Technical Assistance & Strategic Partnerships, Serengeti Energy

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The customer: Serengeti Energy

Serengeti Energy is an Independent Power Producer (IPP) focused on developing, owning, and operating small to medium-sized renewable energy power plants across Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as running CSR programs in the communities where these power plants are built. Their mission is to provide sustainable electricity to support economic growth and to empower host communities in the region, while adhering to international best practices and minimising environmental impact.

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The challenge: understanding impact reporting requirements and gathering data efficiently

Serengeti Energy collaborates with several European Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), international investors and local stakeholders. As a result, they are subject to diverse regulatory obligations that consist of more than 400 disparate metrics. Furthermore, impact data on local communities was not systematically recorded in the past. The burden of data collection was substantial and inefficient, resulting in low data availability and quality. Drafting the yearly sustainability report became an overwhelming task for everyone involved.
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The solution: coherent ESG & impact framework and streamlined data collection through leonardo

Together with leonardo, Serengeti Energy was able to revise their ESG & impact frameworks, as well as collect data efficiently. The solution involved:

• Harmonising diverse ESG & impact reporting requirements from investors, regulators and other stakeholders through a machine-learning based similarity analysis
• Incorporating relevant, comparable, valid and reliable metrics to comply with impact reporting best practices, acknowledged standards and stakeholder requests.
• Reduced reporting burden from 400+ to about 100 metrics
• Preparing one-click templates for data collections, both for employees and local communities affected by Serengeti Energy's activities
• Processing, validating and visualising data automatically for ongoing impact monitoring, management and reporting

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First insights and the way forward

Data is now streamlined across multiple projects and accessible through the leonardo dashboard. Insights into poverty, food insecurity, well-being, income and gender inequalities, education, motivation to migrate, and most importantly, levels of peacefulness at the community level, are now readily available. This information will help EPP to gain a better understanding of the challenges and priorities facing the populations where P-REC funded projects are located, as well as to understand how P-REC-financed projects change socio-economic conditions over time.

In this way, leonardo significantly reduces the time and cost to measure, monitor and report on impact. Furthermore, as an independent entity, we are able to validate the data, ensuring its reliability as an external third party. Thus, P-REC buyers can be assured that the impact of their investment has been verified and be confident in sharing this with customers or stakeholders.

As EPP continues to drive positive change in vulnerable regions, leonardo stands as a trusted partner, empowering them to amplify their social and environmental impact while fostering global peace and sustainability.

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"We are thrilled that our solution not only assisted Serengeti Energy to streamline their reporting process but, more importantly, provided valuable insights that empower them to drive positive change more effectively."

Jasper Klemm, Co-Founder & CMO, leonardo

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