Sustainable Development Goal 7  (SDG 2) is about „ Affordable and clean energy”

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, natural gas, coal, petroleum, uranium. 

Increased use of fossil fuels without actions to mitigate greenhouse gases will have global climate change implications. Energy efficiency and increase 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 bioenergy.

Renewable and green energy are focused on the source (fuel) that generates the energy. Clean energy is focused on the result of the energy generation.

Renewable Energy = Regenerative Sources
Green Energy = Natural Sources
Clean Energy = Clean Air

The most important aspect of clean energy are the environmental benefits as part of a global energy future. While clean, renewable resources also preserve the world’s natural resources, they also reduce the risk of environmental disasters, such as fuel spills or the problems associated with natural gas leaks.  

It also provides a variety of environmental and economic benefits, including a reduction in air pollution. A diverse clean energy supply also reduces the dependence on imported fuels.

Working towards this goal is especially important as it interlinks with other Sustainable Development Goals. Focusing on universal access to energy, increased energy efficiency and the increased use of renewable energy through new economic and job opportunities is crucial to creating more sustainable and inclusive communities and resilience to environmental issues like climate change.

Our everyday lives depend on reliable and affordable energy services to function smoothly and to develop equitably. A well-established energy system supports all sectors: from businesses, medicine and education to agriculture, infrastructure, communications and high-technology.

Energy lies at the heart of both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

 Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030. will open a new world of opportunities for billions of people through new economic opportunities and jobs, empowered women, children and youth, better education and health, more sustainable, equitable and inclusive communities, and greater protections from, and resilience to, climate change.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for reliable and affordable electricity in health centers. One quarter of the health facilities in a number of surveyed developing countries are not electrified, and another quarter has unscheduled outages.

Goal 7 of the SDGs aims to correct the enormous imbalance of energy accessibility by ensuring everyone has access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services by the year 2030. To expand energy access, it is crucial to enhance energy efficiency and to invest in renewable energy.

Energy from renewable resources – wind, water, solar, biomass and geothermal energy – is inexhaustible and clean. Although the solution to energy’s climate crisis lies off-grid, renewable energy currently constitutes only 15% of the global energy mix. It is time for a new global partnership on sustainable energy for all.

Links to other SDGs

Sustainable development goal 7 (SDG 7) is expected to ensure all households get access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern cooking energy by 2030. Achieving this goal directly contributes to the achievements of:

Sustainable Development Goal 1(No poverty);

Sustainable Development Goal 3

(Good Health and well-being);

Sustainable Development Goal 4(Quality Education);

Sustainable Development Goal 5(Gender equality);

Sustainable Development Goal 15(Life on land).