The James E. Rogers Energy Access Project (EAP) at Duke, founded in 2017 and led by Sanford’s Marc Jeuland and Jonathan Phillips of the Nicholas Institute, focuses on addressing global energy poverty through sustainable, modern energy solutions. To support its work on energy access, EAP was awarded a Duke Climate Research Innovation Seed Program (CRISP) grant in 2024 to explore climate-smart agriculture’s potential in East Africa.
This new project, titled “Monetizing Resilience to Mobilize Climate Capital,” brings together researchers across Duke — including experts from Public Policy, Engineering, Sociology, Divinity, and Environmental Policy. The project focuses on developing innovative financial instruments, such as resilience credits and resilience bonds, to attract private-sector investment for climate adaptation. This effort aims to bridge a significant funding gap for smallholder farmers, where investment needs far exceed international climate finance.