Access to clean and efficient energy in developing countries

The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal to “ensure access to affordable, reliable and modern energy for all” (SDG7) is yet to become a reality in many developing countries write Romain Pardo and Johannes Hügel.

Despite improvements in energy efficiency and increased investments in renewable energy, these countries will need international support to achieve this goal.The EU, which has proven to be a reliable partner, has a key role to play in this endeavor and must further pursue its efforts to support developing countries in an effective way. To do so, the EU must:

continue to cooperate with developing countries to help them implement long-term decarbonisation plans;
place a particular emphasis on Sub-Saharan Africa and rural areas;
contribute to the mobilisation of various financial resources;
enhance different kind of partnerships, including the G20;.
use the External Investment Plan to simultaneously achieve energy and climate objectives.