Energy Poverty: An Opportunity for CSR and Social Impact? The Case of DOMI Earth in Taiwan

Abstract

In the midst of Taiwan’s clean energy transition, social enterprise DOMI has found an opportunity to support families living with poverty while reducing carbon emissions. Their initial success providing energy-saving lighting to combat household energy poverty has generated interest from other cities and counties in Taiwan. DOMI’s founders think that corporate philanthropy might allow them to scale the initiative to places where government funding is not available. In order to convince corporate donors that their project merits investment, DOMI will need to show the value generated by every dollar invested. In the process, DOMI will need to think deeply about how to make intangible value explicit. This case encourages students to reflect on the multiple facets of value for projects that seek to be efficient while meeting important social and environmental needs.