While it is indisputable that modern and clean energy services are essential for people’s wellbeing and crucial for economic growth and human development, many people in the world, still have no access to electricity.
Globally that number is over 1.3 billion and people without clean cooking facilities in the world are about 2.6 billion.
The United Nations is warning that for the Millennium Development Goals to be attained, the problem of lack of modern energy services must be quickly sorted out.
In this part of the world, the wide use of biomass for cooking better manifests the high levels of energy poverty prevalence.
The International Energy Agency (UIEA) defines energy poverty as the lack of access to modern energy services.
“These services are defined as household access to electricity and clean cooking facilities, such as fuels and stoves that do not cause air pollution in houses.
Modern energy services are crucial to human well-being and to a country’s economic development, and yet globally, over 1.3 billion people are without access to electricity and 2.6 billion people are without clean cooking facilities,” the agency notes in a recent report.
“More than 95 per cent of these people are either in sub-Saharan Africa or developing Asia and 84% are in rural areas,” it adds in World Energy Outlook 2012 report.
Globally, there are also around 400 million people who rely on coal for cooking and heating purposes, which causes air pollution and has serious potential health implications when used in traditional stoves.
The challenge of energy poverty should be quickly dealt with and measures taken to modernise the use of biomass and other fossil fuels.
“We need a global clean energy revolution – a revolution that makes energy available and affordable to all. This is essential for minimising climate risks, for reducing poverty and improving global health, for empowering women, for global economic growth, peace and security; and the health of the planet,” argues UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon.
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