Shifting Currents: Opportunities For Low-Carbon Electric Cities In The Global South

The analysis identifies 105 cities with populations over one million across 34 Global South countries where electrification is currently a viable low-carbon strategy. Suitability is determined by a minimum 90 percent urban electricity access rate and a carbon intensity of electricity supply below 600 tCO2e/GWh. While all South American cities meet these criteria, suitability is significantly lower in sub-Saharan Africa (3 out of 40 cities) and South and East Asia (26 out of 202 cities).

• The study establishes two specific thresholds for a city to be a candidate for electrification: urban electricity access must exceed 90 percent to avoid worsening inequities, and the carbon intensity of the electricity supply must be below 600 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per gigawatt hour (tCO2e/GWh) to ensure a net reduction in emissions.
• Electrification is identified as a viable strategy in 34 Global South countries, encompassing 105 cities with populations exceeding one million people. This includes all cities in South America and select cities in Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East.
• A small minority of large cities in sub-Saharan Africa and South and East Asia currently meet the criteria for electrification. In sub-Saharan Africa, only Accra, Addis Ababa, and Kumasi are suitable among 40 cities with over one million people; in South and East Asia, only 26 out of 202 such cities qualify.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Shifting Currents: Opportunities For Low-Carbon Electric Cities In The Global South. https://www.wri.org/research/shifting-currents-opportunities-low-carbon-electric-cities-global-south

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Shifting Currents: Opportunities For Low-Carbon Electric Cities In The Global South. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/shifting-currents-opportunities-low-carbon-electric-cities-global-south.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Shifting Currents: Opportunities For Low-Carbon Electric Cities In The Global South |url=https://www.wri.org/research/shifting-currents-opportunities-low-carbon-electric-cities-global-south |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendshifting, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Shifting Currents: Opportunities For Low-Carbon Electric Cities In The Global South}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/shifting-currents-opportunities-low-carbon-electric-cities-global-south}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }