SIEW 2015: The geopolitics of a world awash in oil

Energy access is critical to social and economic development, but 1.3 billion people do not have access to electricity and a further 2.6 billion people do not have access to clean cooking facilities. Of these, 95% are located in sub-Saharan Africa and developing Asia.

Oil and gas companies are well-positioned to lead efforts to tackle energy poverty. In addition to their convening power and vast resources – in terms of capital, as well as technical and commercial expertise – oil and gas companies stand to reap the benefits of opening up a US$37 billion market in these regions, which hold nearly 20% of global oil and gas reserves.

A recent report from Accenture, “The role of the oil and gas industry in tackling energy poverty”, outlines the energy poverty challenge, existing industry efforts to overcome this, and what needs to be done to bolster these efforts.

The full report can be downloaded here.

By : Accenture