The links between poverty, economic development, environmental and climate protection and energy are complex. However, energy supply affects all aspects of a society’s development – from the economy to health care, from education to security.

Our most urgent task is to provide opportunities for poor populations in developing countries to access infrastructure services. A few statistics illustrate this: 1.6 billion people do not have access to electricity; 2.5 billion are dependent on wood, charcoal or agricultural waste as cooking fuel, which leads to 1.5 million preventable deaths per year due to household air pollution.

The leading cause of climate change is the use of oil, natural gas and coal as fuel. In fact, fossil fuels are responsible for 60% of greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, global energy demand is also rising and is projected to increase by 50% on today’s levels by 2030 – most of which will be seen in developing and emerging countries.

GIZ is working to reduce extreme poverty through increased access to basic energy services. It is also promoting sustainable economic growth with an efficient energy infrastructure. To do this, GIZ increasingly draws on renewable energy technologies to ensure that the energy supplied is as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible.