Clean Technologies for High-Need Communities

Clean technologies for high-need communities are low-carbon technologies that help communities meet their basic needs - such as lighting, cooking, heating - while also being safe, sustainable, and affordable.

Energy is an essential requirement for all facets of life and the critical infrastructure on which the socio-economic development of a country depends. Globally, the power generation sector relies heavily on fossil fuels which in turn are one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Increased levels of greenhouse gases have primarily been held responsible for global warming and consequently, climate change. Thus, global warming provides a very compelling reason for weaning away the world’s power production industry from conventional fuels to alternative and cleaner sources of energy. Access to modern energy is widely recognized as a critical factor in poverty alleviation and development. Yet 1.6 billion people today, mostly in developing countries, lack access to electricity. About 2.5 billion people rely on wood, charcoal, dung and other biomass fuels for cooking. These and other traditional fuel sources available to poor and rural communities are often time-intensive to collect, degrade the local environment, impact health, and result in high carbon emissions. 

One of the most effective ways to help communities become less reliant on inefficient practices that degrade environmental quality is the implementation of clean technologies.  Transitioning to clean technologies can help communities meet their basic needs while also being safe, sustainable, and affordable.  While the majority of greenhouse emissions are generated in developed countries, projections over the next century show that the developing world will overtake take them if emissions remain unchecked. As more and more underdeveloped communities continue to grow, so do their emissions, as well as the number of people affected by health risks such as smoke inhalation in poorly ventilated home .  To help alleviate these growing emissions, clean technologies need to be implemented in the communities that need them the most.