Energy and Development
Energy powers development in all sectors. It fuels transportation and industry, boosts crop production and agricultural processing, and increases revenues for small and medium-sized businesses. Energy moves water, enables communication, powers school computers, and lights, heats, and refrigerates health clinics around the world. As their economies grow, developing countries face increased demands for adequate energy services.
Despite the centrality of energy to development, more than two billion people, one-third of the world’s population, have no access to electricity or other modern forms of energy. Instead, they rely on inefficient and polluting fuels, like wood, animal dung or crop waste. Burning these fuels creates a number of environmental problems, not only exposing people (especially women) to health risks from breathing pollutants, but also speeding the process of climate change, which disproportionately affects the developing world. When electricity is available, it is often expensive and unreliable, which cripples economies and restricts job opportunities by reducing the productivity and competitiveness of businesses and industries. These problems are compounded by the onus on developing nations to address global climate change and transition to low carbon growth.
