18 June 2015: The World Bank and the International Energy Agency (IEA) published the second edition of the ‘Sustainable Energy for All Global Tracking Framework,’ which evaluates global progress toward the three goals of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative. The report, which focuses on the period 2010-2012, finds that Asia was the best performing region, accounting for approximately 60% of the global progress on energy access and clean energy objectives.

According to the report, titled ‘Progress Toward Sustainable Energy 2015,’ Asia fared particularly well in expanding modern renewable energy, registering growth of 8% per year in 2010-2012, compared to 4% per year globally. Asian countries also expanded access to electricity by 0.9% per year, on average, with the world advancing at a rate of 0.6% per year.

The region also increased its population share with access to clean, modern cooking fuels, while these numbers registered a decrease globally. In the area of energy efficiency, Asia’s average annual rate of reducing energy intensity, at 1.3%, was lower than the global average, at 1.7%. However, some countries, namely Japan and Indonesia, reduced their energy intensity by 5% per year on average.

Globally, the report finds that 222 million people gained access to energy during the period under observation, while 1.1 billion people still remained without. It recognizes that progress was also made in energy intensity decreases and growth in modern renewable energy consumption, but concludes this was still at an insufficient pace.

The report finds that, in 2010-2012, inter alia: despite some encouraging acceleration, overall progress over the tracking period fell substantially short of the rate needed for reaching the SE4ALL goals by 2030; “efforts must be redoubled to get back on track”; India showed notable advances in electrification while progress in Africa remained slow; and progress in reducing global primary energy intensity was substantial but still only two-thirds of the pace required for reaching the SE4ALL objective for energy efficiency. It also concludes that current investment flows, at US$400 billion in 2010, will need to triple, to approximately US$1-1.2 trillion, in order for the world to achieve the three objectives.

Work on the report was led by the World Bank’s Energy and Extractives Global Practice and Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) and the IEA, with support from 20 partner agencies. [World Bank Press Release] [World Bank Press Release on Asia] [Global Tracking Framework 2015 Webpage] [Publication: Progress Toward Sustainable Energy 2015] [World Bank Infographic]