Opportunity International Canada is relentlessly focused on finding sustainable and scalable solutions to global poverty. Central to our approach is financial inclusion which unleashes the agency of individuals to break generational cycles of poverty through sustainable livelihoods.
I have been reflecting throughout this blog series on the ways our work contributes to progress on the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs). This blog entry is about SDG #7 – Affordable and Clean Energy.
After water and food, energy is one of the most basic needs of life. In Canada, we take access to energy for granted when we turn on a light, charge a mobile phone, cook a meal, start a car, or adjust the thermostat.
We may complain about gas prices or the electricity bill, but for the most part, we enjoy access to reliable and affordable sources of energy. And, although we have a long way to go, there is a concerted effort underway to develop viable clean sources of energy.
The global poor face a very different reality. When a person’s average income is less than a few dollars each day, energy becomes an unaffordable luxury. People need energy and they can be very creative in its sourcing. But often any available affordable energy sources are either dangerous or unsustainable.
As an Electrical Engineer by training, I am always amazed by the complex, dangerous and illegal tapping into the electrical grid I see in many villages. Sadly, the risk of electrocution is real and frequent. There are also occasional news accounts of explosions as people illicitly tap into gas sources. And wood harvest for domestic fuel is one of the main causes of deforestation, negatively impacting ecosystems, wildlife, and climate and weather patterns.
Solutions to the global need for sustainable, affordable, and clean energy are well beyond the mandate or impact of Opportunity International and for that reason, I was tempted to skip over SDG #7 and go straight to Goal #8.
However, the clients that we hope to reach with our work need energy to survive and thrive and it turns out that energy becomes part of our story as well. It is important to note that these clients are the least responsible for energy-related climate impacts and should not bear a disproportionate burden for solutions. That said, my experience is that reasonable people everywhere want sustainable solutions, and the clients we serve are no exception.
My experience is that reasonable people everywhere want sustainable solutions, and the clients we serve are no exception.
So, how does our work contribute in some way to SDG #7? Let me give a few examples. When a client acquires a regular income through a sustainable livelihood, they can afford more sustainable energy sources. Instead of wood, they can use gas for cooking and heating. They can afford to legally tap into the electrical grid. They often buy generators to keep freezers and lights functioning during power outages.
Mobile phone use is high everywhere we serve, especially low-feature phones that can have a battery life of a week or more. Opportunity International has been a leader in leveraging digital financial inclusion to serve the poorest clients, particularly farmers and other rural clients. There are apps for low-feature phones that enable simple financial transactions, as well as delivery of training. However, eventually, the battery must be charged.
Opportunity International has been a leader in leveraging digital financial inclusion to serve the poorest clients, particularly farmers and other rural clients. There are apps for low-feature phones that enable simple financial transactions, as well as delivery of training. However, eventually, the battery must be charged.
And that’s where microentrepreneurs step in to offer sustainable and affordable solutions. There are many examples of clients who have added charging services to their other businesses, generating additional income.
One of my favourite stories is of Elinia, a Pathway to a Better Life client in Haiti. Starting with nothing, she acquired the skills and assets needed to start her own microenterprise and opened a small store.
She eventually added solar panels (pictured above) to provide cellphone charging services at an affordable rate — a wonderful example of SDG #7 at the micro level!
The global challenges around sustainable energy development and consumption are vast and complex and it will take the collective effort of all nations and people to find solutions. The global poor also have a role to play in this, and with economic empowerment they can pursue more sustainable energy sources — small changes repeated millions of times become globally significant.
Dan Murray, CEO