Tapping the potential of renewables : an energy poverty perspective on the European Investment Bank'

Query: subjects: "Environment and Natural Resources"

Title	Tapping the potential of renewables : an energy poverty perspective on the European Investment Bank's energy investments in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors	P. Jansen, B. Ilge, A. Franck, R. Kugonza, S. Alouka
Year	2012
Publisher	Both ENDS
Place	Amsterdam
Pages	16
Series title	Both ENDS Briefing Paper
Organisation	Both ENDS
Subject	Environment and Natural Resources
Keywords	energy resources, international cooperation, poverty, sustainable development
Regions	Africa, Europe
Countries	Togo, Uganda
Abstract	This paper provides a preliminary assessment of the energy-lending strategy of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in African countries in terms of their impact on poverty alleviation. The EIB's portfolio of energy funding to African countries has a strong orientation towards the construction and restoration of hydropower dams and the refurbishment and expansion of power grids. It appears to neglect the potential of investments in new renewable energy technology and decentralised power generation which would provide an alternative option better suited to reaching the poor, especially in rural areas. According to the United Nations Development Programme, access to energy for the poor is a prerequisite for achieving the anti-poverty targets contained within the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Language	English
Category	Research
Document type	Report
Note	English language ed. N. Parrott
Rights	© 2012 Both ENDS
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