Energy For All

The International Energy Forum’s (IEF) Energy for All Initiative supports global efforts to improve universal access to energy and to reduce energy poverty worldwide. While there have been improvements in access in recent years much more needs to be done.

According to the World Bank, more 840 million people are living without electricity today. While this number has declined from 1 billion people in 2016, some fear that 650 million people could still be left without access to electricity in 2030, and 90 percent of them will be living in sub-Saharan Africa.

Moreover, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic risks widening the divides and slow-tracking the investment that is necessary to connect the disenfranchised to modern energy services. Concerted efforts need to be stepped up through inclusive dialogue and collaboration and the opportunity that international and national government stimulus and recovery measures provide.

The IEF remains committed to the development of secure and accessible energy solutions to meet the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 7: “To ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.”

Efforts to eradicate energy poverty must be technology neutral. Renewable energy technologies offer new opportunities to overcome energy poverty and achieve a secure and sustainable provision of modern energy services in Africa where economics permit. Hydrocarbons and related technologies aimed at reducing emissions and air pollution in major cities continue to be important to meet growing energy demand and ensure equitable development.

Developing nations cannot be deprived of energy to grow their economies and keep up with demographic trends during the transition to a more diversified and sustainable energy mix that is affordable to all. Collective efforts require additional planning, financing, and market incentives to boost the implementation of innovative energy technologies, through new policy tools and business models.

Furthermore, nearly 3 billion people worldwide still cook and heat their homes with biomass such as coal or kerosene, and this represents and ongoing challenge, particularly because the use of these fuels is a principal risk for premature deaths and chronic illnesses from indoor air pollution.

The IEF member countries have the resources and capabilities to provide a sustainable path forward to eliminate energy poverty, especially in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa – the regions with the most noteworthy gaps. This commitment to energy for all is deeply woven in the IEF’s programs, policies, and initiatives.

The Energy for All Initiative will leverage the IEF platform to help accelerate progress in this important area in close collaboration with relevant international organizations, financial institutions, regional development banks, and market stakeholders.

The IEF longstanding commitment to providing reliable access to energy for every person and family is also highlighted at notable IEF events including: