Want to End Poverty? Focus on One Thing.

Rajiv Shah in the New York Times:

The data shows that trying to make modest improvements on all issues is not working. It is only diffusing already thin resources.

As world leaders gather this week for the United Nations General Assembly they should reimagine their approach. In today’s digital world, nothing matters more to individual well-being than energy: Access to electricity determines fundamental aspects of individuals’ lives, like whether they are healthy or have a job.

Instead of treating electrification as one of many goals, it’s time to see it is essential to all of them. And that means the world needs to focus investment and effort on getting reliable, clean electricity to the nearly 700 million people who don’t have any — and the 3.1 billion more who don’t have enough.

More here.

Enjoying the content on 3QD? Help keep us going by donating now.