Africa scores poorly on sustainable energy policies, says World Bank
Report finds more than a third of countries, home to 96% of the global population, were at an advanced stage and progress was not limited to rich countries
Washington — Sub-Saharan Africa, where more than a half billion people live without electricity, trails the world in government policies that promote sustainable energy, according to a new World Bank report Wednesday. Much of the rest of the world, however, has made strides toward making energy broadly available, developing renewable power sources and increasing efficiency, the inaugural Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy report said. In a survey of 111 countries, the World Bank found that up to the end of 2015 nearly 80% had begun to adopt policies to expand electrical grids, connecting them to solar and wind generation, and to help make electric utilities creditworthy and financially viable while keeping energy prices down. More than a third of countries, home to 96% of the global population, were at an advanced stage and progress was not limited to rich countries. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda outperformed their peers in access to energy, while Pakistan made progress on re...
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