UNITED NATION –
Up to 2.3 billion people around the world are still using polluting fuels for cooking, and 675 million are without electricity, according to a report released Tuesday by five international organisations.
The report said that at the current rate, 660 million people are predicted to be without electricity and 1.9 billion people will not have the opportunity to cook clean by 2030. That is the target deadline to reach the target of The United Nations in 2015 “ensures access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.”
The report by the International Energy Agency, the International Renewable Energy Agency, the United Nations Statistical Office, the World Bank and the World Health Organization says that, at the halfway point of the goal, the world is not on track to achieve the energy target, which will have a negative global impact. the health of millions of people and accelerate climate change.
“The energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to have a profound impact on people around the world,” said International Energy Agency executive director Fatih Birol. “High energy prices have hit the most vulnerable, especially those in developing economies.”
He said that while the transition to clean energy is happening faster than people think, there is still a lot of work to be done to power the billions of people still living without energy.
According to the report, global access to electricity has increased from 84% in 2010 to 91% in 2021, but the growth rate slows between 2019-2021, including the onset of the COVID pandemic. -19. Although the electrification of rural areas has contributed to progress, there is still a large gap in urban areas.
The report says more than 80% of people without electricity — 567 million people in 2021 — live in sub-Saharan Africa, similar to the 2010 deficit.
The report also shows that up to 2.3 billion people are still using polluting fuels and technologies, including firewood.
Francesco La Camera, director general of the International Renewable Energy Agency, said: “Cost-competitive renewables once again show considerable resilience, but the poorest people in the world once again show great resilience. the majority still cannot fully benefit from it.”
According to WHO estimates in 2019, 3.2 million premature deaths each year are due to indoor air pollution from polluting fuels and technologies.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said investing in transparent and renewable solutions to achieve global energy access “can play a vital role in protecting the health of those living in the world.” our most vulnerable population.”
Guangzhe Chen, the World Bank’s vice president of infrastructure, called for urgent efforts “to ensure that the poorest and most difficult-to-reach people are not left behind.”
