Needs-based energy access

Energy is a driver of development and of a future worth living.

We need energy to prepare food, to produce clean drinking water, for cooling and heating, in industrial and craft production processes, in education and much more. Development cannot be achieved without a sustainable, needs-based energy supply.

In 2021, 675 million people had no access to electricity, 80 per cent of them in sub-Saharan Africa. In many rural areas, due to geographical conditions, sparsely populated areas or serious poverty, electricity cannot be supplied through national grids even in the long term. And even where electricity grids already exist, many families cannot afford the connection or the energy supply is unreliable. Despite a power supply being available, an estimated 75 million people are not able to pay for electricity. Without additional efforts, around 660 million people will still be without access to a reliable energy supply in 2030.

In 2021, 2.3 billion people were using energy from biomass (wood, charcoal, dung or agricultural waste) for cooking and heating. Cooking at traditional fireplaces leads to extreme smoke pollution, especially in enclosed spaces. Women and children in particular suffer from respiratory diseases as a result, with more than 1.5 million people dying from these causes every year. In addition, deforestation leads to erosion and desertification of entire regions.

GIZ has been supporting the dissemination of adapted, needs-driven solutions for a decentralised energy supply for 40 years now. It supports the production and marketing of efficient stoves and helps people switch to cooking with electricity. It is also assisting in setting up sustainable sales structures for decentralised solar plants and promoting decentralised, stand-alone grid solutions on the basis of solar and hydropower. GIZ advises public sector partners such as energy ministries and electrification authorities on regulatory issues. In addition, we work closely with banks and financing institutions. In cooperation with universities and training institutes, we ensure that well-trained experts are available on our partner countries’ labour markets. By involving civil society organisations and stakeholder groups, we guarantee the social inclusion and participation of all interest groups. Moreover, by teaming up with international donors, initiatives and associations, we are able to scale up effective approaches and work together to boost the energy access rates with a view to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030.