As we look back on the past year, we reflect on developments with concern and a hint of cautious optimism. Last year was marked by intensifying crises and the weakening of the international institutions tasked with responding. There were active conflicts around the world last year, headlined by Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, DRC, Gaza and Iran. Insecurity persisted in many fragile countries where EPP works with local partners. This reflects a broader pattern: the persistence of ongoing wars, the emergence of new flashpoints, the paucity of international diplomacy to respond to or end conflicts, and the increasingly devastating human cost of conflict and insecurity leading to an unprecedented 122 million people forcibly displaced.
These dynamics were underscored by broader systemic changes — the shifting global distribution of political and military power; the erosion of long-standing international relations norms and institutions; widespread use of force, including against civilians; and the contraction of humanitarian and peacebuilding assistance as global defense spending reached record highs. The United Nations turned 80 in an environment where the appetite for multilateral action to preserve collective peace and security shrank. The world appears more dangerous and unpredictable with overlapping risks — including those associated with climate change — while the existing systems for managing conflict are struggling to adapt.
EPP was founded on the idea that the traditional approaches for resolving conflict and promoting peace are inadequate, that they need to consider the increasing links between climate change and conflict, and that new ideas are needed for expanding the peacebuilding toolkit — including through supporting climate solutions in fragile countries. In a more complex and fragmented world where conflict and insecurity are on the rise, these ideas are more relevant today than ever before. The current environment presents opportunities as well as challenges. This AP article from last June, profiling our partner Nuru, a solar mini-grid company operating in eastern DRC, offers a glimmer of hope amid crisis. It demonstrates the resilience of distributed renewable energy infrastructure in the midst of a violent offensive, offering a potential model for communities dealing with conflict, climate change, and poverty. The article also draws attention to how our own innovation — the Peace Renewable Energy Credit (P-REC) — is supporting Nuru and other similar minigrid developers operating in fragile settings.
While 2025 was a striking reminder of the scale of global fragility, we believe that many of the solutions we have been developing may be made for the moment, and we are excited to be advancing approaches that can contribute to shared peace and prosperity in a rapidly changing world. To that end, below are a few of our milestones from 2025.
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 The Peace Renewable Energy Credit (P-REC) market continued to grow. By the end of 2025, P-REC sales had generated USD 1.6 million for new projects in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa, benefitting over 250,000 people. These projects support first-time electrification, public streetlights, hospital electrification, and community agriculture projects. The emergence of P-REC buyers from new sectors — including financial services, transportation and logistics, and entertainment — helped signal the expansion of P-REC interest beyond traditional corporate sectors.
EPP also became the I-REC issuer in Sierra Leone and Burundi and is now the authorized I-REC issuer in a total of eight countries — including Chad, DRC, Ethiopia, Haiti, Somalia, and South Sudan.
Our instrument to scale up the P-REC market — the $11 million P-REC Aggregation Facility (PAF) moved towards financial close, which we expect to occur in early 2026. PAF is projected to unlock $137 million in additional funding for new renewable projects in more than a dozen sub-Saharan African countries and connect more than 850,000 million people to first-time electricity access.
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 In March, EPP published Renewable Energy and Peace in the Central African Republic: An Opportunity for the United Nations to Lead by Example in collaboration with our partners The Stimson Center and The John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth. The report, the latest country case study in our Powering Peace series, explores the role of energy and energy poverty in CAR's complex conflict dynamics, the potential for renewable energy to address historical marginalization and help support peace, and the opportunity to leverage the renewable energy transition of the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSCA in support of community electrification in one of the least electrified countries. The report was accompanied by a virtual launch event, co-hosted by Norway and the UAE, with representatives of the CAR government and MINUSCA presenting on plans and opportunities for expanding renewable energy projects.
We continued our collaboration with the Stanley Center for Peace and Security on the next chapter of our Powering Peace initiative. This included the design of a workshop, to be held in early 2026, that will mobilize a diverse set of stakeholders in support of a broader renewable energy and peace agenda.
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Reforming Carbon Accounting Standards
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 EPP staff participated in revision processes for the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) and Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), respectively, the principal voluntary greenhouse gas accounting and target-setting frameworks for Scope 2 emissions. The revisions will inform the market rules and incentives for corporate sustainability strategies and renewable energy procurement decisions going forward. EPP’s participation and advocacy — including through the Leapfrog Alliance — has allowed us an opportunity to advocate for greater consideration of social impact in corporate sustainability procurement and for stronger incentives to drive corporate renewable energy investment in underserved markets, including via instruments such as the P-REC.
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 EPP convened and/or participated in events at a number of international convenings, including during the Africa Climate Summit, Humanitarian Network and Partnerships Week, SF Climate Week, NY Climate Week, Stanford Climate Week, Carbon Finance and Migration Forum in Seoul, Trellis Impact 25, Energy Access Investment Forum, Clean Energy Buyer's Association (CEBA) Summit, REC Market Meeting, and more.
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Escalating instability will continue into 2026 and beyond. Supporting communities to escape cycles of violence remains more pressing than ever. In 2026, we will release our new 5-year strategy, scale up our P-REC program, and expand our local field presence and partnerships, while continuing to develop the evidence and narratives that support the idea of renewable energy as a tool for peace. We are grateful to our many partners and supporters who are accompanying us on this journey.
Wishing you a good start to 2026,
The Energy Peace Partners Team
EPP is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Please support our mission by donating to EPP at the link below. Follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our newsletter for updates and insights.
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