Given that two-thirds of people in the region lack access to energy, UNDP will deploy its longstanding expertise in renewable energy to create decent green jobs & livelihoods. UNDP’s new Energy Compact pledges to work with partners to provide access to clean and affordable energy to 500 million additional people — including 150 million in the Sahel region. This will bring power to homes, hospitals, and schools for the first time and expand access to the internet, the nervous system of tomorrow’s green economy. This will dovetail with UNDP’s Climate Promise, the world’s largest offer of support for the enhancement of countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions. Through this assistance, countries such as Burkina Faso, The Gambia and Niger are investing in clean, renewable energy. Building this green economy is vital as climate change is causing temperatures to rise in the region 1.5 times faster than the global average.