Energy Efficiency as an Enabler of Energy Access for All for Sustainable Development

Energy efficiency (using advanced technologies to provide better quality energy services with the same or a lesser amount of energy) and energy access (increasing the consumption of modern energy services) are sometimes seen as topics incompatible with each other. As a result, energy efficiency has largely been ignored as countries sought to achieve greater energy access. This paper will dispel this misconception by highlighting areas where energy efficiency is an enabler of energy access. In doing so, it will also highlight the importance of the availability, accessibility, and affordability of clean and efficient products. The so-called “3-A’s” is critical because the problem is not a lack of solutions, but making them widely available and affordable in the most underserved and impoverished regions of the world. It is hoped that a wide dissemination of best practices in energy efficiency and energy access will kick-start the the transformation towards sustainable development.