Energy Access Challenge: Strategies from the World Bank Group [In My View]

ELECTRICITY ACCESS IS ONE OF the most important development challenges of the 21st century. A large swath of the world's population still remains in the dark, relying on kerosene and candles on a daily basis. Access to electricity in flexible, reliable, and sustainable forms brings a range of social and economic benefits by enhancing the quality of household life and stimulating the broader economy. Modern energy is essential for the provision of health care; clean water and sanitation; and reliable and efficient lighting, heating, cooking, mechanical power, transportation, and telecommunications. There is now unambiguous evidence of the benefits of electricity provision. At a minimum, the quality of electrical lighting (measured in lumens) is many times better than that of kerosene, the most common alternative lighting fuel. In addition, students are able to study for longer hours, instances of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases are reduced, the safety and security of women is heightened, and women's role in the household decision-making process is increased. The Sustainable Energy For All (SE4ALL) was launched in 2012 to organize the efforts of the international community around a common set of energy goals to be achieved by 2030 and universal access to electricity was one of them. The “Global Tracking Framework Report,” prepared under the SE4ALL initiative, presents detailed country-level and global data that outline the scale of the challenges ahead as countries try to meet the three objectives of the SE4ALL initiative by 2030: providing universal access to modern energy; doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix; doubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency.