Giving Compass' Take:

• Dr. Rajiv J. Shah discusses the Global Commissions to End Energy Poverty's mission to meet and exceed the Sustainable Development goals through innovation.

• How can donors engage new technology to solve energy poverty and boost economic development? 

• Read about how collaboration and integration can help end energy poverty.


We have only one more decade to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. SDG 7 calls for electrifying hundreds of millions of under-served homes and businesses effectively, sustainably, and cost-efficiently. Without coordinated efforts and clear leadership, the world will not meet the test. That is why earlier this month we launched the Global Commission to End Energy Poverty to fast-track power solutions.

In order to unleash the full potential of economic development through electrification, we have to face two facts:

  • First, the bar for achieving SDG-7 is set too low. The most common baseline metric for “access to modern electricity” for urban areas is consuming 100 kilowatt-hours per person per year. That is barely enough to power one lightbulb for five hours a day and charge a mobile phone.
  • Second, business as usual will not end energy poverty in time. We have the tools and technologies – pairing new off-grid solutions with traditional grid extension for faster, cheaper, and more impactful electrification – but operating in silos will lead to failure.

Read the full article about ending energy poverty by Dr. Rajiv J. Shah at the Rockefeller Foundation.