With 287 confirmed cases and 5 deaths as of the 7th of March, Ghana has a relatively low rate of infection of the COVID-19 virus. Most cases are in the Greater Accra area, with the West African nation’s capital of Accra at the centre. To prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, Ghana’s government imposed restrictions in the Greater Accra and Kumasi areas on the 30th of March, asking residents to stay at home and only leave their houses for necessities. ecoligo’s Country Manager in Ghana, Doreen Kanetey-Essel, tells us how things are in Accra. A national trust fund has been…
Clarity in unclear times: the ecoligo business model explained in detail
In the current situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, humanity is feeling insecure. Our picture of the world is getting out of control and we experience new insecurities every day, due to the constantly changing environment of government decisions, new information through the media and direct influence on our daily lives. In such uncertain times it is difficult to make decisions. But it does not have to be. By acquiring knowledge we can take this uncertainty away from ourselves and gain confidence that we are making the right decisions even in volatile times. This also applies to investment decisions, among…
How is COVID-19 affecting Costa Rica?
With 396 cases as of April 2nd, Costa Rica has a relatively low rate of COVID-19 infection that is increasing at a steady, but not exponential, pace. However, the economic impact for the small Central American country is larger due to a travel ban and lockdown that have brought international and local tourism to a halt. Tourism is a central pillar of Costa Rica’s economy. The country is known for its stunning natural landscape and wildlife, features that bring thousands of tourists each year. In recent decades, Costa Rica has grown its ecotourism sector, an approach that has enabled the…
How is COVID-19 affecting Kenya?
Like other African countries, Kenya has seen far less cases of the novel Coronavirus, with only 50 people infected (30 March, 2020). Nevertheless, the country is not immune to the wider impacts of the global pandemic. With an economy that relies heavily on exports and tourism, Kenya is exposed to a significant economic impact in the coming months. Kenya’s government has reacted quickly to these economic threats. President Uhuru Kenyatta has taken an 80% pay cut and is encouraging other government officials to do the same, to “share the burden occasioned by the global health pandemic”. The President also announced…
How to work from home: the ultimate guide from a company that does it successfully
ecoligo is active on 4 continents, with 7 offices, but only 20 people. So, we’re pretty good at remote work. In the community spirit of the times, we’ve compiled all our tips, tricks and tools into the ultimate work from home guide to help all the other people and businesses out there! Click the button to get the guide. No email input necessary: if you’re interested in what we do, you can sign up to the newsletter here.
ecoligo supports ‘FRIDAYS – The story of a new world’ film
We’re proud to announce that ecoligo will support a new documentary film called FRIDAYS – The story of a new world. The documentary will follow young leaders of climate action as they dedicate their lives to raising awareness of the climate crisis and putting pressure on those in power to act. The film will be produced by fechnerMEDIA, the studio behind THE 4th REVOLUTION, POWER TO CHANGE and more than 80 documentary films showing sustainable action. The team is led by acclaimed filmmakers Carl Fechner and Johanna Jaurich. Why are we supporting it? At ecoligo, we are passionate about saving…
ecoligo starts Guarantee Fund to safeguard investors against possible COVID-19 impact
This week, ecoligo began a company-wide period of social distance to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus and support efforts to flatten the curve. For many of us, it’s not a huge change: as a small company spread across 4 continents, remote work is the norm and our internal communication will remain quite consistent. However, we’d like to provide some information related to our business model as well as the measures we are taking to protect investors and continue our journey towards a sustainable future. ecoligo provides clean energy to businesses in diverse industries and locations. These businesses are…
ecoligo’s CEO Martin Baart talks solar in Kenya: Interview with TV47
Last week, ecoligo’s CEO and co-founder Martin Baart joined German President Frank Walter Steinmeier’s visit to Kenya as part of an economic delegation. Our participation sparked the interest of media across the country. Watch Martin’s interview on TV47 where he discusses the Kenyan solar market, the local business environment and his insights from the trip. — ecoligo provides a fully financed solar-as-a-service solution for businesses in emerging markets. With a complete digital platform for financing and delivering solar projects, ecoligo removes the barriers that prevent such projects from being realised. Supplying businesses with affordable electricity enables them to grow and…
Visiting Kenya with President Steinmeier: Impressions from the first day
This week, ecoligo CEO Martin Baart is visiting Kenya together with German President Frank Walter Steinmeier and a hand-selected group of German businesses active in the country. Being a part of the economic delegation is an incredible honour and something not many people have the chance to experience. After landing in Kenya, I caught up with Martin to find out how he’s feeling about the trip. How’s it going so far, Martin? It must be pretty exciting. It really is exciting to be part of an economic delegation as part of a bigger political trip. I’m seeing a side of…
Dreaming of Zebras: 4 things we’re proud of on our 4th birthday
It’s our 4th birthday! As the prosecco corks (beer caps) pop in the ecoligo office, here are 4 things we are proud of having achieved in the last years. Realising our dream! Four years ago, ecoligo’s founders, Martin Baart and Markus Schwaninger, knew three things: Businesses in emerging markets needed solar energy to grow sustainably A finance gap was stopping solar projects from being realised There was a lack of sustainable, transparent investment opportunities For Martin and Markus, this was an opportunity. They had the ambitious goal to use crowdinvesting to channel that finance to the right place and…