Energy Poverty

The Challenge

In 2012, nearly 7 in 10 people living in sub-Saharan Africa did not have access to electricity or modern energy sources, and the majority of people in sub-Saharan Africa have to heat their homes and cook using traditional fuels like wood.  The smoke and fumes that this produces contributes to nearly two million deaths every year across the world, mainly affecting women and children.  But, it has wider implications too. It means that huge swathes of people have no evening light, limited access to modern communications and inadequate education and health facilities, which are all vital for reducing poverty.

Unreliable or unaffordable electricity also means businesses struggle to function and prosper – both in urban and rural areas. Addressing this is crucial to providing jobs – which the world’s poorest prioritize above all else.

The Opportunity

There is a way to change this. Countries like Thailand have shown how it can be done, increasing the share of the population with access to electricity from 25% to almost 100% in just over a decade.  The same can be done in Africa. But current efforts are insufficient to address this energy poverty. Unless we urgently change direction, 655 million people in sub-Saharan Africa will still not have electricity in 2030, that’s nearly 50% of the projected population.

We need a step change in our approach, and this is the time to do it. Last year was the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All, an initiative that brings together business, governments, investors, community groups and academia with the aim of securing universal access to modern energy services by 2030. Political momentum is starting to develop around this initiative and the need to address energy poverty, led by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and other global leaders, but it is crucial that this momentum is now turned into concrete support for action address energy poverty.