Universal access to energy is a development imperative. Energy is a catalyst and enabler of development, and societies cannot develop without reliable, adequate and affordable energy services. Decades of national and international efforts have yielded impressive gains in access to modern energy. Yet, estimates suggest that under a business-as-usual scenario around 600 million people will still not have access to electricity by 2040.
To accelerate the pace of off-grid renewable energy deployment, many different pre-conditions must be met. IRENA works on different fronts through various platforms, collaborations, capacity building activities and knowledge products to bring together different experiences and best practices; these relate to design and implementation of enabling policies, tailored financing schemes, and innovative business models and technology applications for stand-alone and mini-grid systems.