The report shows progress on specific elements of SDG 7, such as renewable electricity use in global consumption or the increased rate of using renewables in the power sector.
It also shows that international public financial flows in support of clean energy in low- and middle-income countries have been declining since before the COVID-19 pandemic, and funding is available only to a small number of countries.
While more than a billion people gained electricity access between 2010 and 2021, regional disparities remain.
The SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) custodian agencies have launched their annual progress report summarizing global “progress on energy access, energy efficiency, renewable energy, clean cooking, and international cooperation to advance SDG 7.” At the halfway point in SDG implementation, the report finds that despite progress in certain areas, current efforts are not enough to reach SDG 7 targets by 2030.
The report titled, ‘Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2023,’ is now in its ninth edition. It presents updated statistics for each of the SDG 7 indicators and offers policy insights on priority areas and actions needed to accelerate progress.
The report shows progress on specific elements of SDG 7, such as renewable electricity use in global consumption, which increased from 26.3% in 2019 to 28.2% in 2020 – the largest single-year increase since tracking progress for the SDGs began – or the increased rate of using renewables in the power sector. It also indicates that increased investment resulting from the global energy crisis is expected to further stimulate the deployment of renewables and improve energy efficiency.
However, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), international public financial flows in support of clean energy in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have been declining since before the COVID-19 pandemic, and funding is available only to a small number of countries, with 19 countries receiving 80% of the commitments in 2021. Therefore, to ensure everyone benefits from the socioeconomic gains of the energy transition, the custodian agencies call for structural reform of international public finance and highlight the need to identify new opportunities to unlock investments.
It is crucial that multilateral financial institutions direct financial flows more equitably … to support renewables deployment and related physical infrastructure development.
– Francesco La Camera, IRENA Director-General
The report finds that in 2021, 91% of the world’s population had electricity access, compared to 84% in 2010, with more than a billion people gaining access over a ten-year period, largely as a result of rural electrification efforts. At the same time, the growth pace of access slowed in 2019-2021, and a large gap remains in urban areas. In addition, the number of people in sub-Saharan Africa without access to electricity remained almost unchanged from 2010. In 2021, 567 million still lacked access, representing over 80% of the global population without access.
Access to electricity and clean cooking still display great regional disparities and should be the focus of action to ensure that no one is left behind.
– Stefan Schweinfest, UNSD
The custodian agencies also warn that, without additional action, 1.9 billion people will lack access to clean cooking in 2030. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 3.2 million people die each year from illness caused by exposure to household air pollution. According to a press release, the “use of traditional biomass also means households spend up to 40 hours a week gathering firewood and cooking, which prohibits women from pursuing employment or participating in local decision-making bodies and children from going to school.”
The report was produced by the International Energy Agency (IEA), IRENA, the UN Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank, and WHO. It will be presented at a special launch event during the 2023 session of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) on 11 July. It also seeks to inform the second SDG Summit in September. [Publication: Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2023] [Executive Summary] [Interactive Online Report] [Publication Landing Page] [World Bank Press Release] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on 2022 Report]