However, their exclusion would make the attainment of sustainable development much more challenging and require special measures to improve energy efficiencies and reduce demand. The implementation of a highly ambitious package of policies directly addressing the energy-poverty nexus has the potential to ensure access to modern energy of an additional 1.9 billion of people. The policy package would have to combine financing (including microfinancing), to cover the upfront costs of enabling access to modern energy and the purchase of appliances, with a 50 per cent fuel subsidy in relation to market prices.