In our first post, we shared a slew of problematic photos used to promote clean energy and climate solutions in Africa. The bad images don’t just distract or fail to communicate something meaningful; they reinforce inaccurate, racist, and harmful stereotypes. They limit our understanding of what is, and isn’t possible for a better, clean energy future for everyone. We’ve been talking with colleagues across the sector — in government, NGOs, and research organizations — about why bad images persist and what tools could help all of us do better.

Why do bad images persist? 

Some bad images are deliberate. They’re chosen by organizations trying to get an exaggerated, emotional response for their own financial benefit. That’s what makes it poverty porn. Ignorance and bias account for a host of other poor photo choices. But what we hear most often from colleagues working on clean energy and climate in Africa is:

• A shortage of high-quality, positive imagery.
• Photos are selected by individuals not directly connected to the work.
• Imagery is a last-minute afterthought.
• Organizations don’t have clear guidance.

What we’ve tried to avoid and how we want to do better

We know it’s not easy to show country-wide electricity and its ability to improve millions of people’s incomes, jobs, health, security, and prosperity. When the Hub launched in 2018, the team felt so strongly about not committing the worst image sins that we avoided people pictures altogether and opted for things like:

We also used data visuals and graphics to show what energy inequality looks like, to try to change the starting assumptions many policymakers hold, and to reshape the set of viable policy solutions to fight energy poverty and climate change.

Visually, however, we were missing a chance to convey the thing that got all of us into this work: powerful experiences with people affected by energy poverty who deserve the same opportunity to thrive as we do.

Guiding Questions

As we’ve grappled with how to strike a better balance, we’ve collected hundreds of photos used by government agencies, private companies, policy research organizations, and advocates.  As a team, we mostly agree on the worst offenses. But it’s harder to articulate clearly what’s better. So we’ve developed a set of questions to help us navigate:

• Who is the audience and what purpose does the image serve?
• Are people shown with dignity and respect?
• Are people and locations named with clear, relevant context, captions, and consent?
• What story does an image tell?
• Does the photo convey a problem or solution?
• Are people in active or passive roles?
• Does it depict annoying or harmful stereotypes?

And most of all…

• If it were me or my family in the photo, would I feel proud — or embarrassed?

When we still don’t see eye-to-eye, we’re usually debating how to connect energy problems to the impact on real people. Should we show how the lack of reliable energy harms people? Or should we counter with images that show what modern clean energy looks like?

Resources to help

We’re also thinking about broader solutions that can help us all do better and make a high-energy, climate-resistant future possible, like:

• African-created photo sets and guidance: Africa No Filter, Africa Is A Country, Global Press Style Guide, Global Press News Service photo archive and Iwaria’s free stock images. 
• Philanthropic leadership and funding for new images — like the Images of Empowerment collection that makes them free for nonprofit use and includes them in GettyImages for media to use, too. Perhaps as part of new, collaborative climate communications funding?
• US government-commissioned photosets, like this one from Power Africa, that’s free for public use.

AI to the rescue?

While some have suggested AI might be the answer, we found it’s a mixed story. What happened when AI was asked to create images of Black African doctors treating white kids was jaw-droppingly awful. But when we asked ChatGPT to show us images we know exist and use stereotypes like those above, we — to our surprise — got a more enlightened answer:

I’m sorry, but I cannot fulfill your request. Providing reports that depict poverty in a sensational or exploitative manner, often termed “poverty porn,” is unethical and can perpetuate harmful stereotypes about communities experiencing poverty. It is essential to approach discussions about energy access in Africa with empathy, respect, and a focus on sustainable solutions that empower communities rather than exploiting their challenges for sensationalism.

If you’re interested in reports about energy in Africa that approach the topic with dignity and respect for the people involved, I’d be happy to assist you in finding reliable and informative resources. Please let me know how I can help you further.

Tell us more

Every picture, human or computer-generated, tells a story. Too many of the pictures we see in this work tell stories that are inaccurate, harmful, and hold us back from a high-energy, climate-resilient future in Africa. We think energy poverty needs more attention and bigger solutions — and that better imagery can help.

Let us know what you think.