Context:
SDG 7: Energy Progress Report 2024, released recently, finds that the world remains off course to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 for energy by 2030.
Relevance:
GS III: Environment and Ecology
Dimensions of the Article:
- About SDG 7: Energy Progress Report 2024
- Highlights of the 2024 Report
- Disparities and Challenges
- India’s Progress
About SDG 7: Energy Progress Report 2024
- Introduction: Since its establishment in 2018, the Energy Progress Report has become the primary source of information for tracking progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
- Objective of SDG 7: The goal is to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.”
- Production: The report is produced annually by five custodian agencies:
- International Energy Agency (IEA)
- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
- United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD)
- World Bank
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- Content: The report summarizes global progress on energy access, efficiency, renewable energy, clean cooking, and international cooperation to advance SDG 7.
Highlights of the 2024 Report:
- Electricity Access: The number of people without electricity increased for the first time in over a decade, with 685 million people lacking access in 2022, up by 10 million from 2021, primarily due to rapid population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Clean Cooking: The world is off track to achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2030. Approximately 2.1 billion people still lack access to clean cooking fuels and technologies, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
- Renewable Electricity: Renewable electricity consumption grew by more than 6% year-on-year in 2021, raising the share of renewables in global electricity consumption to 28.2%.
- Installed Capacity: The installed renewable energy-generating capacity per capita reached a new record in 2022 at 424 watts per capita globally.
Disparities and Challenges:
- Capacity Disparities: Developed countries have 3.7 times more installed capacity (1,073 watts per capita) compared to developing countries (293 watts per capita).
- Insufficient Efforts: Current efforts are insufficient to achieve SDG 7 on time.
India’s Progress:
- Advancements: Between 2010 and 2021, India, along with China and Indonesia, made significant advancements in modern renewable energy use.
- Renewable Energy Growth: India recorded one of the highest increases in the use of modern renewable energy, with the share of renewables in total final energy consumption (TFEC) rising by nearly 7 percentage points.
- International Support: India’s transition to renewable energy has been significantly supported by international financial assistance.
- Funding: In 2022, India received USD 627 million for 47 renewable energy projects, many of which were valued at less than USD 1 million. A substantial portion of this funding came from Germany and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
- Transportation Sector: India’s role in renewable energy extends to the transportation sector, where it, along with the United States, Brazil, Europe, and China, accounts for 85% of renewable energy use.
-Source: The Hindu
