2.3 billion people globally use polluting fuel to cook; 675m have no electricity

Up to 2.3 billion people around the world are still using polluting fuels to cook and 675 million don't have electricity, according to a report released on Tuesday by five international organisations.

The report said that at current rates, 660 million people are projected to be without electricity and 1.9 billion won’t have clean cooking opportunities by 2030. That’s the target date to achieve a United Nations goal set in 2015 “to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.”

The report by the International Energy Agency, International Renewable Energy Agency, UN Statistics Division, World Bank and World Health Organisation said that at the midway point toward the goal, the world is not on track to reach the energy target, which will negatively impact the health of millions and accelerate climate change.

“The energy crisis sparked by Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues to have a profound impact on people all around the world,” International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a statement. “High energy prices have hit the most vulnerable hard, particularly those in developing economies.”

He said that while the transition to clean energy is happening faster than people think, a great deal of work is still needed to provide it to the billions still living without it.

According to the report, global access to electricity increased from 84% in 2010 to 91% in 2021, but the pace of growth slowed in 2019-2021, which includes the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the electrification of rural areas contributed to progress, there is still a large gap in urban areas, it said.

Guangzhe Chen, the World Bank’s vice president for infrastructure, called for urgent efforts “to ensure that the poorest and hardest-to-reach people are not left behind.”

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