When energy is in short supply

The radio alarm-clock didn’t go off this morning, no light in the bathroom, the coffee machine isn’t working – power failure. In Germany an annoying but rare occurrence. For two billion people in some other parts of the world an everyday problem, as they simply have no access to electricity. Apart from the impact on individuals, the wider consequences of energy shortfalls can be disastrous:

Without electricity, health centres cannot provide proper medical care for the population, schoolrooms remain unlit, machinery in small artisanal workshops lies idle, and there is no contact to the outside world because the radio, television and telephone don’t work without electricity. Cooking, heating, transporting goods and people – impossible without oil or fuelwood as a source of energy.

Energy is crucial to development. If we want to combat poverty on a sustainable basis, poor population groups must have access to energy.

In the geopolitical context, energy sources, especially oil, are at the root of recurring political conflicts and crises. Some developing countries export energy, while many industrialised countries consume more energy than they themselves produce. This dependence on imports can trigger international and national conflicts and wars – the Iraq conflict is just one of many examples.

Energy for the poor (online presentation)

What we expect from political decision-makers