by Justin Dargin




The twin issues of climate change, where governmental action is necessary to combat the pernicious effects of a global rise in temperature, and energy poverty, promoting access to modern energy services for the world’s destitute, are considered to be global imperatives, on the same scale as the much vaunted Manhattan Project. Improving energy services for poor households in the developing world is one of the most pressing issues facing the development community, as energy usually plays a vital role in poverty reduction and sustainable development.

Energy is a vital element of the fusion, where politics, international finance, and technology meet, mix and influence each other. Improving access to energy is not a central aim within itself, but a critical link to sustainable development. When developing nations are mired in poverty and the majority of the population lacks secure access to affordable energy, it is nearly impossible to catapult them out of the vicious cycle of impoverishment.
From the arenas of food sustenance to healthcare, the lack of energy makes its influence felt in most sectors. A lack of basic energy access inhibits governments from prioritizing climate change mitigation or environmental protection, as they struggle to provide elementary services.
However, due to the widespread development of renewable and sustainable energy resources in the twenty-first century, economic growth does not necessarily have to entail a rise in environmental degradation or an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. By wedding alternative energy technologies with the microfinance sector, developing countries can radically increase access to energy, while minimizing environmental degradation. [...]

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