What is SDG 7 and what are its goals?

Energy as a pillar of development

The seventh of the sustainable development goals refers to people’s access to affordable (that they can pay for it) and non-polluting energy (that does not harm the population and/or the environment).

A well-established energy supply system is key to the development of all areas of activity: business, healthcare, education, agriculture, infrastructure operation, communications, etc. The lack of access to energy is a huge obstacle to economic and, therefore, human development.

Without a quality energy supply, countries will not be able to boost their economies. An estimated 1.2 billion people live without electricity (Source: UN).  Another 2.8 billion people depend on energies that pollute their environment, such as firewood or charcoal, and that cause premature deaths. The regions with the greatest energy deficit are sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

In addition, energy in its various forms is on a global scale the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Three goals for the year 2030

SDG 7 sets, from the moment of its definition, three goals that structure the activity around it:

 1- To achieve universal access to affordable, reliable and Moderna energy services.

This is it: that all the people of the world can enjoy energy that will allow them to develop their life in better conditions than the current ones.

2-Increase the proportion of renewable energy in the set of energy sources.

We must not only think about the field of electricity, but also about other energy consumption: from heat for homes and industries to energy for transport. This target is also key to SDG 13 (Climate Action)

3-Double the rate of improvement of energy efficiency worldwide.

Improving efficiency is getting more with less. It is something that happens naturally, usually incentivized by the costs of consuming. It is about accelerating the adoption of measures that allow people to develop while consuming the minimum possible energy, the necessary, for this. It is key both in economically developed countries and in developing countries whose economic activity still has a lot of room for growth.