Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) calls for “affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all” by 2030. It’s three core targets are the foundation for our work:
Ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services
Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
Double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency
From job creation to economic development, from security concerns to the full empowerment of women, energy lies at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - agreed to by the world’s leaders in September 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda. Further information on SDGs.
Globally, the number of people without access to electricity declined from 1.14 billion in 2010 to 675 million in 2021. Asia was the major driver of this decline, as the deficit there shrank from 516 million in 2010 to 69 million in 2021. Meanwhile, Africa saw only a marginal reduction of its unelectrified population, from 591 million to 586 million during the same period, influenced by its rapidly increasing population. The 2023 Tracking SDG7 Report estimates 660 million people would still lack access in 2030, most of them in Sub-Saharan Africa.
At the same time, some 2.3 billion people remained without access to clean cooking in 2021, one third of the global population. Largely stagnant progress since 2010 leads to millions of deaths each year from breathing cooking smoke, and without rapid action to scale up clean cooking the world will fall short of its target by 30 percent come 2030.
Goal 7 target areas
SDG 7.1 - Access to energy
By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services
SDG 7.2 - Renewable energy
By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
SDG 7.3 - Energy efficiency
By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency
