Taking action in support of our vital natural resource sector

Electricity Access - Our World In Data

Electricity is so ubiquitous in everyday life that it’s quite easy to take for granted. That’s true, of course, unless you’re one of the billion or so people – or 13 per cent of the world’s population – who don’t have access to it.

Chad, for example, has a population of more than 16 million people but less than 9 per cent of Chadians have access to electricity. South Sudan is another African nation with more than 11 million people, of whom less than 7 per cent have minimum consumption levels to be categorized as “having access to electricity” by the World Bank.

Do the math, and that’s more than 25 million people in these two countries alone without a place to plug in a refrigerator, smartphone or air conditioner – or whatever “minimum levels of consumption” would look like for them anyways. Surely, we are all aware that these consumption rates are nowhere near that of the average person in Canada, the EU or U.S.

Obtaining access to cheap and reliable electricity for hundreds of millions of people across Africa and Southeast Asia would allow for improved food storage, better healthcare and convenient communication, to name a few benefits.

The list goes on.

Historically speaking, electricity is proven to raise the standard of living and quality of life for those with more access to it. We should know that, but it seems that in our bubbles of energy abundance we sometimes easily forget.

Global Energy Shortages Today a Reminder

Developed nations like Canada have had access to plentiful amounts of electricity for so long that we turn a blind eye to the very thing that allows us to partake in a highly modernized global economy and society.

Electricity is so commonplace that we've forgotten browsing the web on a smartphone, managing our bank accounts online or calling grandmother in Asia all require power.

Today’s global energy crisis is a reminder for us all of how important access to cheap and reliable electricity is and why we should be grateful for that access.

Energy is an Integral Part of Modern-Day Life

Step into the shoes of families in the U.K., Lebanon, China, and other nations around the world currently with energy shortages to better grasp what conveniences electricity provides us. Electricity allows us to:

• Turn on the central heating and air conditioning in our homes
• Drink freshly pumped water from any tap in our house
• Preserve food and drink for lengthy periods in our refrigerators and freezers
• Save lives in the hospital using state-of-the-art technologies
• Browse the internet with a world of information at our fingertips
• Communicate with others across the globe immediately
• Travel to work and get there on time via an intricate network of traffic lights
• Travel vast distances to faraway destinations
• Construct shelter and infrastructure in the public’s best interests using machines
• Ride public transportation to and from points A and B
• Create industrial processes to scale
• Manufacture various products and goods
• Trade with other global nations for goods and services
• Cook food without inhaling dangerous fumes

Global Electricity Demand is Rising

Today’s energy shortages and price spikes are a blaring reminder that the world needs more, not less, oil and natural gas. https://t.co/PAlY7VAnh4

— Canada Action (@CanadaAction) October 1, 2021

Electricity has made the world a better place by raising the standard of living and quality of life for billions of people worldwide – including Canadians!

And, with a world population expected to exceed 9 billion in the coming decades, the International Energy Agency projects that global electricity demand will increase by more than 40 per cent through 2040.

Where will all of that extra electricity come from?

The World Needs More Canadian Energy

With our world-class record on Environmental, Social and Governance indexes, Canada is uniquely positioned to provide the world with more sustainably produced energy in the form of oil, natural gas, uranium, renewables and everything in between.

As one of the most transparent, regulated and environmentally responsible energy producers on the planet, Canada should be a global supplier of choice. Our country demonstrates much stronger protections for civil liberties and human rights than many other top energy producers worldwide.

More Canadian energy on global markets is good for Canada and the global environment. This also supports hundreds of thousands of Canadian families across the country who work hard day in and day out to provide the world with the energy it needs.

Join Us Today!

The world needs more Canadian energy! If you agree, we invite you to learn more about our world-class energy sector by joining us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook today! We hope to see you there!

Back to Energy - Canada Action

Natural resources are foundational to everything we do. #MadeInCanada pic.twitter.com/vtLXldOzVN

— Canada Action (@CanadaAction) April 25, 2021