Parties to the Paris Agreement (PA) have agreed on the goal of limiting the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 °C and are pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5 °C. Countries’ nationally determined contributions (NDCs) comprise the main framework used to achieve this. In this context, Mozambique′s NDC includes, amongst other actions, increased renewable energy (RE) generation. This article presents the results of the assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of the Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff (REFIT), using the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) system model, in order to determine its potential contribution to Mozambique′s NDC’s goals and RE targets. Results from this study show that the REFIT regulation can be expected to contribute to reducing 0.34 MtCO₂eq (0.6% of the NDC target for the electricity sector) by 2030, compared to a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario. However, the NDC ambition could be enhanced through the REFIT and contribute to reducing 2.54 MtCO₂eq (4.3% of the NDC target for the electricity sector) by 2030. The article further discusses the requirements for a robust measuring, reporting, and verification (MRV) system for climate policies, using REFIT as a case study, to facilitate effective tracking of NDC progress and achievement and transparent reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Access to electricity is a crucial factor in boosting the economic, environmental, and social development of developing nations. This study presents a framework that combines and integrates indicators and methods to determine the most sustainable solution for off-grid electrification, focusing on the Mavumira village in Mozambique. The framework covers various methods including input–output, life cycle assessment based on SimaPro, and HOMER. Data for the analysis were obtained from the literature, the HOMER database, and the ecoinvent database. Our results show that renewables are the most sustainable solutions compared to diesel-only options as they can lower the cost of electricity by 20%, create approximately 26 more local jobs, reduce about 77% of greenhouse gas emissions caused by burning fossil fuels, and have higher values of HDI than diesel-only options. Using the MCDA (TOPSIS method), we found that the future renewable scenario ranked highest with a closeness value of one, while the diesel-only option ranked third and fourth on a ranking scale from 1 to 4. This study concludes with future research directions for applying the framework to other case studies using different renewable technologies like wind, hydropower, and biomass in villages with similar characteristics to Mavumira. The novelty of this study lies in applying various methods and indicators to analyze the sustainability of an implemented project for the current and future scenarios. Additionally, the framework presented in this study would assist policymakers in selecting the best energy alternatives for rural electrification.

The deployment of rural electrification actions through off-grid mini-grid solutions is one of the most effective approaches to achieving universal access to electricity in an affordable, reliable, and sustainable way. To assess the sustainability of three mini-grid projects (Sembezea, Mawayela, and Dongane), this study applied a framework that integrates different methods (HOMER, LCA based on SimaPro, and Input–Output) and indicators under the economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Data for the analysis were obtained through site visits in the case study areas, a literature review, and the HOMER and ecoinvent databases. Sembezea and Mawayela were assessed based on their operational experience, whereas the Dongane biogas system is analyzed based on a projected household biodigester experience. The results of this study revealed the considerable benefits of biogas in generating local employment (506 employees) compared to wind/solar PV (98 employees) and hydro/solar PV (91 employees), as it is expected to require a considerable number of employees for feedstock collection for the digester, under the assumed scale and conditions. Additionally, in the long term, biogas would present the lowest cost of electricity at $0.22/kWh compared to wind/solar PV ($0.28/kWh) and hydro/solar PV ($0.60/kWh), thereby improving the ability of the local community to pay for electricity. In contrast, this study concluded that, in terms of environmental impact—particularly CO₂ emissions—biogas has relatively poor environmental performance (4.58 × 10⁻² kg CO₂ eq) compared to wind/solar PV (8.50 × 10⁻⁴ kg CO₂ eq) and hydro/solar PV (3.94 × 10⁻⁴ kg CO₂ eq) in the long term. Nevertheless, biogas presents carbon neutrality as an advantage, in the sense that the CO₂ released during its combustion is assumed to be carbon-neutral. By applying the framework to the aforementioned case studies, the extent to which it is possible to provide an integrated overview of the economic, environmental, and social aspects, as well as the impacts of different HRES options in line with the SDGs, is demonstrated.