Energy for all: harnessing the power of energy access for chronic poverty reduction
This policy guide explores how access to energy can assist with policies for the chronically poor. Over the past two years, the challenge of providing people living in poverty with access to modern energy has been prominent in policy debates. The UN Secretary General’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative is instrumental in highlighting the importance of energy access for poverty reduction. However, despite this policy focus, governments sometimes overlook the needs of chronically poor people when initiating energy for all programmes as they are often the most difficult for energy service providers to reach, and are least able to afford services when they are available. Chronically poor people therefore need to be explicitly considered in measures to deliver energy services. This policy guide specifically addresses which policies can assist with helping the chronically poor get access to energy.