Introduction

Access to energy is widely acknowledged to be a fundamental determinant of human well-being (Bridge et al, 2018). Restricted access to energy limits at least three pathways out of poverty: improved health, extended education and greater livelihood opportunities (Ouedraogo, 2013: 29). The importance of energy in society is encapsulated in the frequently quoted statement by Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) in 2012: ‘Energy is the golden thread that connects economic growth, social equity, and environmental sustainability’. Energy is implicated in our every practical endeavours.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) signify an important global agreement on human development objectives by 2030. The first target of SDG7 – ‘By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services’ – represents a hugely ambitious mission given that the figure for those without electricity is estimated at close to 1 billion and the number of those dependent upon solid cooking fuels is about 3 billion people globally (International Energy Agency, 2019: 98, 87). Solid-fuel cooking is known to cause health problems (see Figure 5.1). A great many of these people are the urban poor of the Global South. For people living in informal settlements or urban slums in the Global South, the energy experience is particularly challenging. Most characterisations of slums concur with the path-breaking UN Challenge of Slums (UN Habitat, 2003: 12), which defines a slum as a settlement that combines to some degree: inadequate access to safe water, sanitation and other infrastructure; overcrowding; poor-quality housing; and insecure residential status.