Increasing access to energy services in rural areas - REEEP ...

MODULE 10: INCREASING ACCESS TO ENERGY SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS
page 10.13
5. LINKAGE OF ENERGY TO THE MDGs
Many institutions have considered the MDGs and integrated the important linkages
of energy services to them. In fact, as energy services are essential ingredients
of all three pillars of sustainable development (economic, social and
environmental, as below), they can be an input to all MDGs:
• Economic sustainability assumes that social and environmental aspects of sustainable
development must be defined economically;
• Social sustainability assumes that economic and environmental aspects must
be defined by taking into account social considerations (i.e. equal opportunities
for all);
• Environmental sustainability assumes that the economic and social aspects
are defined by considering environmental constraints;
• The long-term perspective assumes social, economic and environmental
aspects can be sustained through generations and views remain consistent
with the majority of the population. 26
5.1. Development agencies
A number of development agencies are helping to facilitate the MDGs, not so much
through direct involvement in their management, as in the financing of market
studies and the development of business plans to assist private sector interests
in establishing and operating energy services for rural people. These efforts are
aimed at addressing uncertainty and providing the necessary interface between
poor communities, energy services and private capital.
Department for International Development – UK
The UK’s Department for International Development’s (DFID) document “Energy
for the Poor” clearly outlines a matrix of energy and the MDGs, drawing on case
studies to reinforce the linkages. 27 Broadly this shows that:
• To halve extreme poverty – access to energy services facilitates economic
development – micro-enterprise, livelihood activities beyond daylight hours,
26
SOPAC/ICCEPT Pacific Islands Biomass Energy Resource Assessment Training Course
27
DFID – Energy for the Poor, Annex 1