Over a billion people affected by energy poverty

Healthcare and education services left to function without power

A report has found that energy poverty is leaving over a billion people in developing countries without access to adequate healthcare and education services.

The report, Poor People’s Energy Outlook, published by NGO Practical Action, states that nearly half of all healthcare facilities in India, serving around 850 million people, lack electricity. In sub-Sahara Africa, over 30% of facilities lack power, affecting 255 million patients. This has a major impact on the quality of healthcare, as it leaves doctors having to treat patients in the dark and prevents the proper storage of vaccines and ability to sterilise equipment. 

Even facilities that have a power source face severe problems, as in Kenya, only 25% of healthcare centres have a reliable power source. Blackouts can happen at least six times a month, usually leaving facilities without power for four hours at a time.

Candlelight is still the only way to get light in many developing countries

(Image source - Practical Action)

Along with energy storages affecting healthcare, it is estimated that 291 million children go to schools without electricity. In Burundi, only 2% of all schools have access to electricity. The report found that in many schools, windows are kept open, even if it is cold, so the room has a source of natural light. Many schools have limited to no form of ventilation or heating, leaving children to suffer in cold, damp conditions, resulting in negative health effects. In one school in Bolivia, lessons were cut short so the children could help collect firewood to cook their school meals.

The report states that rural areas and areas made up of mainly poor people were the ones most likely to be affected by energy poverty, and that governments of many developing nations are having to put the energy needs of the wealthy in urbanised areas over the needs of others. Practical Action's advocacy lead on energy issues, Helen Morton, said: "The historic neglect of energy in community services undermines the ability to deliver education, healthcare and ultimately development. This report makes the case for the energy services that poor people want, need and have a right to – providing communities with the power to challenge their poverty."

Are new coal plants a backwards move?

Plans for new coal-fired power plants raise questions

New research has revealed that over 1000 new coal plants are being planned in 59 countries, with China and India contributing to three-quarters of them. 

This coal expansion is going ahead despite warnings over the large amount of pollution the new plants will create, with scientists, politicians and climate change campaigners all agreeing that the world needs to move away from fossil fuels as the main energy provider. Many argue that fossil fuel assets will become worthless as action on climate change moves forward.

Coal plants are the most polluting of all types of power plants. The capacity of all 1200 proposed plants across the world will be around 1400GW, which is the same as adding another China to the world in terms of the level of greenhouse gas emissions.

A coal-fired power station in Michigan, USA

(Source - Wikipedia)

The report is said to be the most comprehensive made and was compiled by the World Resources Institute, who state that the proposed coal plants are ‘definitely not in line with a safe climate scenario’. Nick Robins, head of HSBC’s Climate Change Centre, believes it would be easier to ignore coal as an energy source, as several factors including tighter air pollution regulations, the increasing investment and commitment to renewable energies and the scarcity of water (as coal plants need massive amounts of water to operate) make coal energy not worth the hassle.

Despite these warnings however, the coal industry has seen economic rejuvenation in recent years, as global coal trade increased 13% in 2010. The UK, Germany and France are still in biggest importers, but countries like South Korea and Japan are fast-increasing their import levels. These countries, along with developing countries such as Senegal and Uzbekistan, have high numbers of coal plants but produce practically no coal of their own. Ailun Yang, of the WRI, believes that there is an issue of a lack of awareness in these countries that their energy needs can be met from sources ‘other than coal’.