The Role of MSMEs in Fostering Inclusive and Equitable Economic Growth in the Context of the Clean Energy Transition in MENA

This project aims to contribute new knowledge to foster a clean energy transition that helps generate more and better employment opportunities for women and young people. It will also focus on medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs), through surveys to analyse how they adjust to the phase out of energy subsidies and the challenges in transitioning to renewable sources of energy.

The research will further assess existing policy frameworks and impediments to renewable energy adoption and expand the knowledge of sustainable behaviour at the enterprise level. It will also assess factors influencing the adoption of green energy and investments in energy efficiency.

With this new evidence, the research institutions will inform stakeholders and public debates on clean energy, climate change and environmental justice, especially as it impacts the employment of women and youth.

project

Location

Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia,

Lead Partner

Economic Research Forum (ERF)

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Project outputs

Credit: 'Two women working in a clothing factory' by Dominic Chavez/World Bank. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Two women are standing by a table in a factory, folding a long piece of white fabric.
Women’s leadership and innovative finance: Driving climate resilience and sustainable development

Thursday 20 November 2025

This panel, hosted as part of COP30, will explore how women’s leadership and inclusive financial innovation serve as powerful levers for climate resilience and sustainable development. The session will highlight concrete examples internationally, focusing on the intersection of gender equity, entrepreneurship, and climate action.  Panellists: Adel Ben Youssef, Université Côte d’Azur – featured Clean Energy […]

Unlocking the Potential of Small and Medium Businesses and Entrepreneurs in the Clean Energy Transition

3 December 2025

This report highlights outcomes and recommendations from the T20 Side Event ‘Unlocking the Potential of Small and Medium Businesses and Entrepreneurs in the Clean Energy Transition’, held in Johannesburg on 17 October 2025. It presents seven recommendations for concrete steps to turn the G20’s green energy principles into practice, with South Africa’s presidency positioned as […]

Credit: Nadia Bseiso

A photo of a woman smiling at the camera, standing outside a reservoir. In the background there are green trees.
Fostering an inclusive energy transition through micro, small and medium-sized enterprises

7 January 2026

Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are the main engine of economic growth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The transition to a green economy represents both an environmental necessity and a significant economic opportunity for the region. However, without an intentional focus on gender, this transformation risks reinforcing existing inequalities, rather than […]