Across the world 1.5 billion people lack access to electricity and this impacts on everything from health to employment to education. Many of those without access to this essential resource live in rural areas of the developing world where lack of power is trapping people in poverty. Without electricity communities cannot easily grow businesses or trade outside their local area, they cannot store vaccines and other medical essentials safely and young people are unable to accelerate their learning through technology. And, most frustratingly of all, once the sun goes down both work and study have to stop. While it is clear that access to electricity is key to moving communities out of poverty, the world is currently facing the threat of the catastrophic consequences of looming climate change and it is becoming increasingly apparent that business as usual is not an option. If electricity is to be rolled out to these remote, off-grid communities, dirty fuels must be out of the question. It is becoming clearer that some kind of green energy revolution is needed, and this is where this year's Ashden Award winners come in.
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