SDG#07: Affordable and Clean energy, Explained.
Updated: Oct 4, 2020
To truly transform our economy, protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy
BARACK OBAMA, Address to Joint Session of Congress, Feb. 24, 2009
13% of the global population still lacks access to modern electricity.
From fans in our house to the motors in the industry, everything runs on energy. Till now, mankind has relied heavily on fossil fuel a non-renewable and high pollution contributor, in the form of carbon emissions.
However, in the current century of knowledge and technological advancements, we have observed increasing temperature, rising sea levels, and melting of polar ice. This has forced us to look for alternate fuel options like Solar, Wind, geothermal, biomass, and small hydro. To ensure clean energy for all, development in energy effectiveness and sustainable power sources through new commercial options and job opportunities is essential to sustainable communities and resilience to environmental issues like climate change. For now, there are approximately 3 billion people who use cow dung as fuel for stoves and no clean-cooking solutions exposing them to a high level of pollution.
3 billion people rely on animal waste or coal, charcoal, wood
for cooking and heating
Access to clean fuel is possible through innovation and advancement at both international and local levels for incorporating sustainable power sources into end-use applications in commercial and housing structures, transport, and industry.
Energy is the leading contributor to climate change, estimating for around 60 per cent of total GHG emissions.
To increase advancement and innovation, Governments should promote private ventures in the power sector by offering incentives through favourable policy, security, a steady economic environment, a conducive regulatory regime, and creative projects to change the world's energy structures.
Indoor air pollution from using combustible fuels for household energy caused 4.3 million deaths in 2012, with women and girls accounting for 6 out of every 10 of these.
PROGRESS OF GOAL 7 (2019)
in the poorest countries, access to electricity has begun to accelerate, energy efficiency and conservation continue to improve, and renewable energy is developing its roots in the electricity sector. Still, people who lack access to electricity and clean cooking fuels and technologies needs dedicated attention as they make up around 800 million of the total population.
Sustainable Development Goals 7, 13 are achievable but require a lot of effort to propagate renewable energy, including transportation and heating.
The global electrification rate rose from 83 percent in 2010 to 87 percent in 2015, with the increase accelerating to reach 89 percent in 2017. However, some 840 million people around the world are still without access to electricity.
The global share of the population with access to clean cooking fuels and technologies reached 61 percent in 2017, up from 57 percent in 2010. Despite this progress, close to 3 billion people still rely primarily on inefficient and polluting cooking systems.
The renewable energy share of total final energy consumption gradually increased from 16.6 percent in 2010 to 17.5 percent in 2016, though much faster change is required to meet climate goals. Even though the absolute level of renewable energy consumption has grown by more than 18 percent since 2010, only since 2012 has the growth of renewables outpaced total energy consumption growth.
Global primary energy intensity (ratio of energy used per unit of GDP) improved from 5.9 in 2010 to 5.1 in 2016, a rate of improvement of 2.3 percent, which is still short of the 2.7 percent annual rate needed to reach target 3 of Sustainable Development Goal 7.
International financial flows to developing countries supporting clean and renewable energy reached $18.6 billion in 2016, almost doubling from $9.9 billion in 2010.
Source:
Supporting UN Development Goals angelmedia.org/supporting-un-development-goals/
Energy – Eneref Institute. eneref.org/initiative/energy/Goal 7 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. sdgs.un.org/goals/goal7