Turkish Energy and Natural Resource Minister Ali Riza Alaboyun addresses a press conference at the conclusion of a two-day meeting, the first of its kind for G20 energy ministers, in Istanbul, Turkey, Oct. 2, 2015. G20 energy and natural resources ministers on Friday adopted an action plan seeking to boost access to energy for Sub-Saharan Africa, a region facing an acute power shortage. (Xinhua/He Canling) 

Source: Xinhua    Published: 2015-10-3

G20 energy and natural resources ministers on Friday adopted an action plan seeking to boost access to energy for Sub-Saharan Africa, a region facing an acute power shortage.

The so-called G20 Energy Action Plan highlighted the importance of a conductive enabling environment for increased investment and sustainable growth in the region.

"We stress the need for public-private partnerships, stakeholder alliances and strong political commitment to energy access," Turkish Energy and Natural Resource Minister Ali Riza Alaboyun told reporters at the conclusion of a two-day meeting in Istanbul, the first of its kind for G20 energy ministers.

"The improvement of Sub-Saharan countries in accessing energy has been following a very slow trend," he noted. "Last year, around one percent improvement was achieved."

"If the development continues at the same pace, half of the Sub-Saharan countries will continue to live in the dark," warned the minister, whose country holds the G20 presidency.

Africa needs investment for producing an extra 6-7 kilowatt of power per year, energy experts said.

Alaboyun urged Turkey and China, which assumes the G20 presidency next year, to cooperate in Africa.

Globally over 1.1 billion people live without access to electricity and 2.6 billion people live without clean cooking facilities, a dire situation that also exposes them to health and environmental problems, according to the International Energy Agency.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 600 million people have no access to energy, while 730 million people are using unhealthy solid biomass in cooking.