Energy Access for the poor in Sub-Saharan Africa to meet the Millennium Development Goals

 
About 1.4 billion people had no access to electricity, hence are deprived from opportunities to generate income and employment and access to other basic services such education, health and education; and more than 2.5 billion were cooking with solid biomass fuels, the great majority of them using simple, inefficient and polluting stoves, therefore exposed to respiratory diseases.

The lack of energy access for billions of poor people in the world is a big concern among the most important development agencies in the world (World Bank, UN, EEC and others); it is felt that without energy access people cannot escape from poverty and the Millennium Development Goals would not be achieved. The UNDP, in its Energy and Sustainable Development Overview states “None of the Millennium Development Goals can be met without major improvement in the quality and quantity of energy services in developing countries”.

Project overview

Expected Results:

  • Political commitment to actively support the prioritisation of energy access at local level in sub Saharan Africa
  • Public awareness of the urgent need for greater support of energy access for development
  • Policy dialogue between African and European partners to promote a coordinated approach to enhancing energy access

 

Project Partners:

Practical Action      Stockholm Environment Institute     Polytechnic University of Catalunya   

 

Project Duration:

April 2010 to March 2013 

Evropská komise

This project is funded by the European Union.