Progress towards a world with universal access to clean energy

The adoption of Goal 7 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 was a statement made by leaders of the world that they realise the importance of developing the energy sector sustainably Goal 7 of the SDGs, for the first time, set tangible targets for countries to achieve by 2030 in the sectors of electricity generation, vehicular and clean cooking fuels.

Access to clean cooking fuel

What must also be noted is that more than 2.6 billion people lacked access to clean fuels for cooking. Although this number has dropped from 2.9 billion in 2010, it still poses a big problem. They were exposed to harmful impacts of using unclean fuels like wood while cooking spreads pollution while at the same time also endangering the lives of other family members. Therefore, world leaders must realise that the UN SDG Goal 7 is not concerned only with renewable energy for electricity generation but also for ensuring universal access to clean cooking fuels. Data by the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows a reduction of 10 percentage points in India’s share of population relying on biomass and kerosene between 2010 and 2015, which is worth noting. The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana has resulted in an additional 80 million free LPG connections being provided to poor households. Overall, data by the International Energy Agency shows that over 49 per cent of India’s total population has access to clean cooking facilities. This makes India one of the few Asian nations to have achieved such a high number.

Access to clean electricity

A report by the IEA revealed that in 2019, the number of people without access to electricity dropped to 770 million. This is the lowest value that the world has been able to achieve in recent years. Despite this, the progress of governments in providing electricity to those lacking access has remained uneven. The COVID-19 pandemic has only widened this gap and risks reversing the positive trend that countries worldwide have managed to achieve so far. Data by the BP Statistical Review of World Energy showed that as compared to 2015, when the SDGs were launched, the share of primary energy generated using renewable sources of energy grew by 1.57 percentage points from 9.84 per cent to 11.41 per cent. In the same period, India’s share of renewable energy generation also increased by 1.49 per cent, close to the world average. Numerous places worldwide like the Aller-Leine Valley, Germany, and Colorado, United States of America, source 100 per cent of their electricity demands from renewable sources of energy. Here, the case of our neighbouring country Bhutan deserves special mention. The country exports 70 per cent of the hydroelectricity it produces to other countries due to excess supply. The share of people with access to electricity in Asia has increased from 67 per cent in 2000 to 96 per cent in 2019, with almost 1.2 billion people gaining access to electricity in the region. Close to two- thirds of this progress has taken place in India, with the government announcing that over 99 per cent of the country’s population had access to electricity by the year 2019. The government is now targeting a 24/7 supply of electricity, and such accelerated progress can serve as a case in point to inspire efforts in other areas of the world. Thus, the aim of witnessing the widespread transition to renewable sources of energy is not far-fetched. The examples mentioned above stand as a testimony to the world. What then is stopping us from achieving Goal 7 of the SDGs? According to the 2013 Post Carbon Pathways report, the main obstacles are not technological but political. The key roadblocks are: Climate change denial, efforts of the fossil fuel sector to obstruct the switch to clean energy, unsustainable consumption practices, outdated infrastructure, and financial and governance constraintsTo ensure a successful switch to renewable sources of energy, world leaders must find a way to overcome these obstacles. Then and only then is renewable energy going to be beneficial, going to help in making electricity universally accessible, and going to help in reducing pollution.