The Energy Crisis
Access to energy enables communication and trade, supports the establishment of new income-generating ventures, and stimulates enterprise. Education is improved as children can study in the evenings and schools can stay open later for adult education. Energy access improves health through the use of clean lighting and cooking sources, and because clean water can be pumped direct to households. Healthcare is more accessible because clinics can keep vaccines and medicines in fridges, as well as operate powered medical equipment. This is why renewable energy is vital.
Unfortunately, for most rural families in the developing world these life-changing benefits remain elusive.
1 in 9 people in the world lack access to electricity
1 in 3 people lack access to clean cooking energy
1 in 10 people lack access to safe water
1 in 10 people live on less than $1.90 per day
Immediate solutions available to energy-poor communities to access basic needs either steal valuable time or their limited financial resources. This places many families in an inescapable cycle of poverty.
For remote off-grid communities around the world, formal energy services do not exist. Without energy, families – primarily women spend hours each day collecting water and fuelwood to survive.
Women spend 1.4 hours each day collecting fuelwood when without energy access.
Women around the world spend a collective 200 million hours each day collecting water.
This is time that could otherwise be spent in school or making an income.
Instead of spending this extra time, some families opt to take out loans to cover the recurring costs of kerosene and water. These loans often have high interest rates and are difficult to repay.
Further, the water and energy that families are able to obtain are often unclean and result in chronic, sometimes life-threatening health problems.
The effects of dangerous smoke from cooking kills an estimated 4 million people each year.
Waterborne and sanitation-related diseases kill 1 million people, with a child dying every 2 minutes.
A lack of energy is preventing a healthy and vibrant future for many of the world’s poorest.
The Climate Crisis
Many of the energy solutions available to the poor, in addition to being costly and unhealthy, are bad for the environment. Carbon emissions from non-renewable energy sources continue to contribute to growing climate crisis issues and prevent communities from achieving sustainable and resilient livelihoods.
17.5% of energy consumption is from renewable sources
Global CO2 continues to rise, reaching 405.5PPM in 2017, far past what experts deem safe
19 million people were displaced by climate-related disasters in 2017 alone
Only 57 countries (representing 60% of global emissions) are on track to meet 2030 climate targets
We have a solution
We work exclusively alongside remote, off-grid communities. We develop, test, and implement new ways of bringing renewable and clean energy to scale in the most challenging of settings. These solutions offer not only electricity, but water, new income-generating opportunities, clean cooking sources, improvements to education, reductions in CO2 emissions, healthcare services, and more.
To date, we have helped over 66,000 people gain access to renewable energy technology and services. The ultimate goal? A healthy and prosperous future for all.
These are only a few of the impacts related to a lack of access to reliable and clean energy.
Learn more about the energy crisis by reading the Tracking SDG7: The Global Energy Progress Report 2019.
Learn more about other Sustainable Development Goals that are impacted by energy access here, and learn more about climate change and its impacts here.