Over the course of his more than 20-year tenure with Shell, David Lawrence held such positions as executive vice president of global exploration at Royal Dutch Shell and executive vice president of exploration and commercial at Shell Upstream Americas. Drawing on over three decades of experience in the energy sector, David Lawrence regularly shares his professional insight as a contributor to the Energy Collective.
In a recent blog post, Mr. Lawrence addressed the global issue of energy poverty. As of 2014, approximately 2.5 billion people rely on biomass materials such as wood or dung for basic energy needs. Additionally, around 1.3 billion people do not have access to electricity, while 900 million lack access to safe, clean drinking water. As a reliable source of power is necessary for a number of modern resources ranging from quality healthcare to equal educational opportunities, access to efficient, effective energy resources is crucial to lifting underserved populations out of poverty.
While governments and corporations administer many of the resources necessary to curb energy poverty, there are a number of ways in which individuals can contribute to the cause. Several nonprofit organizations, including Ashden and Grid Alternatives, focus on fighting energy poverty via their support of sustainable energy technologies. Others, such as Energy for All, work to inspire global awareness and action. In addition to supporting organizations dedicated to energy equality, individuals can also make a personal commitment to sustainability by imposing an individual carbon tax and working to reduce their own CO2 emissions.
