Energy and sub-Saharan Africa

Half the world's population live without modern energy. This situation is most severe in sub-Saharan Africa, where four out of five families lack access to electricity.

cooking on an open fire in southern Africa creates harmful smokeHere, the majority of people still cook on an open fire, the fumes from which kill more than 1.4 million people (mostly women and children) each year.

Right now, more lives are being lost through inhaling toxic smoke than to malaria and yet there is little action to address this problem, particularly across the African continent.

As shocking as these statistics are, more startling is the fact that there are no financial or political commitments to tackle this. Projections show that the same amount of people will be 'powerless' in 20 years time.

Financially, investment is made into economic growth through large-scale energy infrastructure, rather than small-scale solutions.

Politically, energy security and energy efficiency receive attention but not energy access - even though it could be the catalyst out of poverty for entire African communities.

In reality, for thousands of families across sub Saharan Africa, the prospect of gaining access to energy is as distant as it was decades ago.

But, at Practical Action we have a vision: modern energy for all by 2030.

Working on small-scale energy, from wind turbines, to solar panels and micro-hydro, over the past 40 years we know that families across sub Saharan Africa and the developing world can be transformed through access to energy.

We also know that our vision of modern energy for all is achievable - it just requires the political will to make it a reality.

Energy for All – Make Your Point

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