§ 27. Mr. Simon ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action she is taking to widen access to renewable energy in developing countries. [69899]
§ Clare ShortMy Department takes the approach that a full menu of options should be considered when providing access to energy in developing countries, not just 1131W renewable energy. Poor people will rely on fossil fuels and traditional biomass resources for many years to come, so cleaner more efficient uses of these energy resources should not be ignored.
Our recent consultation document 'Energy for the Poor' invited comments on the role that DFID can play in providing poor people in developing countries with access to energy for poverty reduction. The final Paper will be produced in August.
We have a number of on-going activities in the energy sector in specific countries, which are listed on the attachments to this reply, together with details of our research work in this sector. We are also a contributor to the multi-donor technical co-operation facilities (ESMAP and PPIAF), which have activities in the energy sector, some of which include renewables. Brief details of the work of these are also attached to this reply.