SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy explained

SDG post #7 - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Hi #sustainability champions, today we continue our journey exploring the individual SDGs one by one to polish our knowledge and upskill in SDG learning. As mentioned before we send out a post approximately once or twice weekly until we have gone through all 17 SDGs. Today we tackle SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy. You can follow or connect with us and see what we have to offer related to upscaling your change maker abilities (of tools and training) on our SDG toolkit webpages. ✔
So let’s explore Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), also known as "Affordable and Clean Energy" in a concise manner suitable for learning.
What is SDG 7 about?
Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) is a global commitment to " ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all". It’s about significantly increasing renewable energy, double energy efficiency, expanding modern energy infrastructure, providing energy services to developing countries, enhancing R & D for modern energy, and more.
Why does SDG 7 matter?
SDG7 calls for “affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all” by 2030. It’s three core targets are the foundation for getting there:
- Ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services
- Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
- Double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency
From job creation to economic development (SDG 8), from security concerns (SDG 16) to the full empowerment of women (SDG 5) as well as poverty (SDG 1) and health and wellbeing (SDG 3), energy is part of the engine of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Globally, the number of people without access to electricity declined from 1.14 billion in 2010 to 675 million in 2021. Asia was the major driver of this decline, as the deficit there shrank from 516 million in 2010 to 69 million in 2021. Meanwhile, Africa saw only a marginal reduction of its unelectrified population, from 591 million to 586 million during the same period, influenced by its rapidly increasing population. The 2023 Tracking SDG7 Report estimates 660 million people would still lack access in 2030, most of them in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- At the same time, some 2.3 billion people remained without access to clean cooking in 2021, one third of the global population. Largely stagnant progress since 2010 leads to millions of deaths each year from breathing cooking smoke and many illnesses and prevents good health. The global access deficit decreased from 36% to 26% since 2015. However, current trends suggest a 21% shortfall in achieving universal access by 2030, leaving 1.8 billion without access to clean cooking by 2030.
- Energy is the dominant contributor to climate change, accounting for around 60 per cent of total global greenhouse gas emissions. Since 1990, global emissions of CO2 have increased by more than 46 per cent and are still increasing to date.
- Hydropower is the largest single renewable electricity source today, providing 16% of world electricity at competitive prices. It dominates the electricity mix in several countries, developed, emerging or developing.
- In 2021 the global share of renewable sources in total final energy consumption stood at 18.7%. Excluding traditional use of biomass, the share of modern renewable sources rose gradually from 10% in 2015 to 12.5% in 2021. The electricity sector led the charge with renewables, contributing 28.2% to total final electricity consumption. However, insufficient progress in the heat and transport sectors underscores the need for stronger conservation measures and policy actions. Tripling world’s installed renewable energy generation agreed at the COP28 would be an important step aligning with the SDG7. Bioenergy is the single largest renewable energy source today, providing 10% of world 's primary energy supply.
- In 2021, the primary energy intensity improved by 0.8%, falling below both the 1.2% five-year average and the SDG 7 target of 2.6%. To meet the 2030 target, annual improvements must now average around 4%. The robust economic recovery in 2021 led to the largest annual rise in energy consumption in 50 years, exceeding 5%. This surge was driven by a shift towards energy intensive industries and the resurgence of other demand sectors after lockdowns were lifted.
- In 2022, international public financial flows supporting clean energy in developing countries has increased but falls way short of what is needed to reach the targets in 2030, by at least 50%, particularly in least developed countries. At the same time the share into fossil fuels is still very significant and appears to continue largely unabated.
- Installed renewable energy capacity is on its rise by about 8% annually, however so far has not achieved any decline in energy consumption or in greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale, as seen with still occurring installation of fossil fuel based infrastructure (e.g. new coal power plants).
Key targets and indicators
SDG 7 is defined by 5 targets, which are measured by 7 indicators, ensuring progress can be tracked and goals can be met, that look at all dimensions of affordable and clean energy for all which explores a variety of topics related to energy including how we provide access to clean and affordable energy, significantly increase renewable energy, improve energy efficiency, and provide for finance, and R&D to make that happen. The main targets summarised include (if you want to know the exact wording in the Agenda 2030 you should have a look here):
- ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services
- increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
- double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency
- enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology
- expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries
Challenges & Progress
Lack of access to energy supplies and transformation systems is a constraint to human and economic development. The environment provides a series of renewable and non-renewable energy sources i.e. solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, biofuels,
Increased use of fossil fuels without actions to mitigate greenhouse gases will have global climate change implications. Energy efficiency and increased use of renewables contribute to climate change mitigation and disaster risk reduction. Maintaining and protecting ecosystems allow using and further developing hydropower sources of electricity and some bioenergy.
We've made some good progress, like more people getting access to energy services and the share of renewable energy is increasing, but there is still a long way to go.
‘Almost 760 million people still do not have access to electricity. About 2.6 billion people has not have access to clean cooking facilities. And the way we produce and use our energy is a main reason for the climate emergence. With the Agenda 2030 we have a plan on how we can harness energy as a decisive path to achieve the SDGs and the targets of the Paris Agreement’, Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General
The world continues to lag in its pursuit of affordable and clean energy by 2030. Progress on SDG 7 has seen some advancements, particularly in improving access to clean energy. However, challenges remain, with hundreds of millions still lacking access to clean energy, and 2.1 billion people lacking clean cooking and heating facilities. Climate change is exacerbating the urgent need to rapidly switch to efficient and modern forms of renewable energy supply, both in developed and developing countries alike. Accelerated efforts are needed to ensure sustainable energy supply and distribution and efficiency with access to sufficient energy for all, particularly in vulnerable communities.
Overall the latest UN SDG progress report on SDG 7 shows largely either moderate progress (like access to energy services and renewable energy share), or marginal progress (energy efficiency) but also some targets on track (international cooperation and investment into energy systems), and overall one of the better performing SDG, but with enormous regional differences, but certainly significant acceleration is required on a number of SDG 7 targets. In 2022, global electricity access declined for the first time in a decade, primarily due to disruptions from COVID-19 and the Ukraine conflict. Despite improvements in energy intensity and renewable energy growth, international financial flows for clean energy in developing countries remain insufficient. At the current rate, 660 million people will still lack electricity and 1.8 billion will not have access to clean cooking by 2030. To achieve universal access to energy by 2030, we need to expedite electrification efforts, boost investments in renewable energy, enhance energy efficiency, and establish supportive policies and regulatory frameworks.Overall, a fairly long way to go and off track to reach the 2030 targets.
If you would like to know more about where your country currently stands with SDG 7 (and all other SDGs), you can check out the latest Sustainable Development Report - Country Profiles (as well as Rankings, Interactive Maps and a Data Explorer), and additional visual presentations available on Our World in Data or specifically the Sustainable Energy for All platform.
Between 2000 and 2021, the proportion of the global population with access to electricity increased from 79 to 91% and is somewhat stagnating. Also, hundreds of millions of people still can’t rely on this essential service. Community resilience depends on decentralised renewable energy sources (SDG 3). Access to electricity enables access to information, communication and education (SDG 4). All of them together enable effectives global-local collaboration (SDG 17).
There is a direct relationship between the exertion of central political and economic power and the structure of energy supply systems (SDG 8). Decentralised renewable energy production with a regional and national interconnection through the grid offers increased community energy sovereignty and resilience while helping to overcome intermittency and enabling collaboration between communities and regions.
How to achieve affordable and clean energy for all?
Like any other SDG, also SDG 7 would require a multifaceted and multi-dimensional approach, but in general SDG 7 is one of the SDG which appears more straightforward and achievable than others. Some of the more higher level (and often global to national) aspects of achieving SDG 7 would probably include in summary (but not be limited to) something like the following:
- Expand Renewable Energy Access: Heavily invest (at least triple the investments) in and promote solar, wind, hydro, and other renewable energy sources to ensure affordable and sustainable energy for all, especially in underserved communities (e.g. sub-Saharan Africa) and promote decentralised energy systems (e.g. community energy and micro-grids) at the same time accelerate the phase out of fossil fuels (e.g. phase out fossil fuel subsidies, no new exploration or fossil fuel infrastructure, end production and sale of combustion engines, etc.). Tackling other areas of energy use like transport, heating and industrial energy use at the same time aggressively will be vital to bring about a turn around in overall energy systems transformation.
- Improve Energy Efficiency & Sufficiency: Implement policies and technologies that enhance energy efficiency (which needs to at least triple from current rates) in buildings, industries, and transportation, significantly reducing overall energy consumption and costs and at the same time reduce total energy consumption everywhere moving towards energy sufficiency. .
- Invest in Infrastructure: Develop and modernize energy infrastructure, including smart grids and decentralized energy systems, including micro-grids, to support the integration of renewable energy sources. At the same time phase out old energy systems and remove further financing of fossil fuel based energy systems.
- Enhance Energy Education and Awareness: Educate communities about energy conservation and the benefits of renewable energy, empowering individuals to make informed energy choices and move towards energy sufficiency. .
- Encourage Policy Frameworks: Advocate for supportive governmental policies and incentives that encourage investment in clean energy technologies and facilitate the transition from fossil fuels.
Reducing the carbon intensity of our energy use patterns is an economic imperative. Between 2000 and 2021 the proportion of modern renewables of the world’s total final energy consumption only grew from 17.4 to 18.7%! Yet, in 2022, they accounted for 84% of new power generating capacity. A slow decoupling between growth and energy consumption is occurring, yet needs to accelerate hugely, but is unlikely to be sufficient.
By 2021, approximately a third of the global population depended on wood, coal, charcoal or animal waste for cooking and heating. This has a significant impact on the environment, as well as individual and community health. Our energy use patterns account for 60% of all greenhouse gas emissions. In this context it is important to acknowledge that SDG 6 tightly interacts with many other SDGs on various levels positively and negatively, and as positive a possible transition towards renewable energy appears to be it is also fraught with enormous challenges also of social, economic and political nature as is for example discussed in this recent article.
Instead of putting too much emphasis on generic larger scale ‘solutions’, which are likely removed from the realities and contexts of many local communities wherever they are. And because the supported approach by Gaia Education for regenerative design and development, is about the context specific potential of each and every place and community. Hence, we want to support the life affirming or life regenerating local to bioregional conversations and co-creative processes which should be a starting point of whole systems based realisation of SDG 7 and all strongly linked and all other SDG systemically together. From this we provide some useful questions to ask yourself or a group you work with in relation to SDG 7 (sourced from the Gaia Education SDG Flashcards) in a multidimensional manner in the social, ecological, economic and worldview/cultural dimensions.
Gaia Education SDG Flashcards
The SDG Flashcards can provide you with some ideas on how one can possibly work with the SDGs in different (not top down but bottom up) and generative approaches. Based and part of the Gaia Education SDG Flashcards, they contain more than 200 questions on the system-wide approach to achieving the 2030 Agenda.
The cards enable a participatory and problem-centric group conversation and solutions oriented multi-perspectival dialogue. They invite participants to engage and to collaborate to identify actions and solutions to implement the SDGs in ways that are relevant to their lives and communities, locally. This is an effective way to establish local to bioregional community ownership and realisation for the UN SDGs.
The SDG Flashcards are used in the SDG Training of Multipliers. Check out the freely downloadable SDG Training of Multipliers Handbook for a detailed description of how to prepare, promote, and how to use these cards more easily to promote community activist training, in various settings (e.g. local public bodies, communities, schools, universities, business etc.) as well as many other tools from our SDG webpages.
Gaia Education involvement with SDG 7
There are of course many examples of working on SDG 7 and affordable and clean energy in all its forms, sometimes also in a systemic way (Post 0).
Gaia Education is involved in educational and training offerings which support the implementation of the SDGs including SDG 7, but is also part of projects and initiatives where at least one, mostly several SDGs are targeted. Examples of training or project involvement with some focus on SDG 7 in a wider sense are:
Renewable Energies for Sustainable Development (onlines course),
This online programme will give a comprehensive overview of renewable energy as a means to enable sustainable development at a global scale. It will present the case for how renewable energies represent both an environmental necessity and an economic opportunity.
The programme developed by the University of Strathclyde, Gaia Education and UNITAR supports the UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative (SE4ALL), which aims to provide universal access to modern energy services, and double the worldwide rate of improvement in energy efficiency and the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. Energy underpins all of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which this course is also closely aligned with.
Through a discussion of key benefits and suitability for a range of applications, together with extensive case studies, the programme aims to provide an overview of clean, secure and sustainable technology options for the development of renewable energy projects, and offer insights into the management of these projects, from small scale through to major projects.
Ecological Design (part of the Design for Sustainability and Regeneration online course),
Ecological Design refers to sustainability from a whole systems design perspective that embodies systemic thinking.
Ecological education and design is a multifaceted field embracing green regenerative architecture, sustainable agriculture, ecological engineering, permaculture solutions, clean renewable energy sources, ecosystem restoration and regenerative development. Any practices that help to sustain a pattern of ecological interdependencies and nurture the conditions for all living systems to thrive.
This course is part of the full Design for Sustainability online course, which includes as an important part the appropriate technology for the generation and use of energy.
The course part looks at sustainable design of carbon neutral energy systems and explores these technologies as part of a resilience strategy for sustainable communities and ecovillages. Scaling and scale linking are important aspects to consider in order to appropriately cater for various types of developments, locations and bioregions.
How does your local community's affordable and clean energy SDG project look like?
Again, let’s take our future into our own hands, and start your SDG journey and locally to bio-regionally based community project now!
And to close if you would like to learn much more about SDG 7 and all other SDGs and the Agenda 2030 and many more topics, approaches and methods to practically work with the SDG in your local to bioregional context we encourage you to start or re-invigorate your personal SDG journey through the upcoming online SDGs Multipliers course, starting on 17th February 2025.
Join the Training of Multipliers!
For more and the video affine the SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy - UN Sustainable Development Goals - DEEP DIVE
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