Low-Carbon Energy to Africa

A recent study by Green Alliance shows that providing energy from low-carbon sources is the quickest and the cheapest way to help people living without electricity in Africa. Today, the main source of energy in places like Ghana is by using diesel generators.

The benefits of low-carbon energy is largely seen in Kenya, where off-grid solar energy has given electricity to 2.5 million of people and has helped to diminish maternal deaths by half.

In sub-Saharan Africa currently 50% of the population lives without access to electricity. The estimative to increase the access to electricity in this area by using low-carbon energy would cost around U$24 billion per year.

Providing access to electricity would improve the quality of hospitals, schools and houses by reducing costs of its maintenance. Children could study at night, hospitals would be more efficient and so people could be healthier, small local business could be more profitable, and lots of other clear advantages could happen. It would improve economic and social development in a sustainable way. How it could be done it is already known. Why it is still not done?

Text and Image Source: Green Alliance Blog, 2014, How low carbon energy can bring faster development to sub-Saharan Africa. Accessed 01 April 2014 <http://greenallianceblog.org.uk/2014/04/29/how-low-carbon-energy-can-bring-faster-development-to-sub-saharan-africa/>