GIZ, Reiner Lemoine Institute (RLI) and the greenwerk recently published the first study to quantify the impact decentralized renewable energy solutions can have in addressing the climate crisis. Distributed energy solutions have largely been absent from the climate discussion, in part because there has been little data. As national governments prepare to update their commitments to emissions reductions as part of the Paris agreement, authors Stefan Mager of GIZ and Philipp Blechinger discuss why distributed clean energy must play a larger role, not just for mitigation, but especially adaptation.