High-Level Launch of Energy Progress Report and Policy Briefs
Sets Stage for SDG7 Review by Governments
A high-level launch event was held on 11 July to present the findings and recommendations of the 2023 editions of Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report and the SDG7 Policy Briefs, as a contribution to the in-depth review of SDG7 by Governments at this year's High-level Political Forum.
Mr. Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, welcomed participants, stating that the evidence in these two reports shows that, at the mid-point of the 2030 Agenda, we are way off-track for reaching our energy promises and commitments, but with rapid acceleration of global efforts, it is still possible to achieve SDG7 by the target year. He called for swift implementation of the outcomes of the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy, including the Global Roadmap for Accelerated SDG7 Action and the Energy Compacts, which have been selected as one of twelve High-Impact Initiatives to be featured in connection with the SDG Summit in September.
Special opening remarks were offered by Ms. Damilola Ogunbiyi, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. She noted that we are seeing backsliding on global ambition on climate and energy, and that it is simply unacceptable that despite progress, we are far off track on SDG7. We must provide electricity access to over 110 million people every year to meet our targets, and we must provide clean cooking solutions to one third of the world's people. Her specific calls for action included that countries in the global south must establish local supply chains for energy, and that the international financial architecture must change, since the countries that need support the most do not get it. She added that we must bring together all stakeholders to achieve SDG7, and that Energy Compacts represent the largest global multi-stakeholder platform to tackle SDG7 and net zero. In conclusion, she stated that we have the technology and the capacity, but now we must push for greater action.
Mr. Guangzhe Chen, Vice-President for Infrastructure, World Bank, stated that, given the lack of sufficient progress so far on SDG7, the situation required a fundamental shift, moving away from a piecemeal approach to energy. Financing is only part of the solution, he said; new technologies were required. While the Bank's financing on energy has increased in recent years, it is still not nearly enough, and more partners need to be involved.
On behalf of UNDP, Mr. Pradeep Kurukulasuriya stated that these reports are a reminder that we need to continue the fight, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable who are left behind. He said that UNDP has set a very bold target to work together with UN system partners to catalyse action to bring clean energy to 500 million people. They are focusing on rolling out their Africa mini-grid programme in 21 countries, but he said that working in silos is no longer an option and we will only succeed by working together.
Urgent Action Recommended on Key Issues
The recommendations of the SDG7 Policy Briefs for 2023, setting out solutions to these big-picture concerns, were introduced by Hans Olav Ibrekk, Special Envoy, Climate and Security, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Sheila Oparaocha, Executive Director of the Energia Network, as co-chairs of the multi-stakeholder SDG7 Technical Advisory Group which compiles the briefs each year. The 2023 SDG7 Policy Briefs shed light on the necessary actions to drive progress at the regional level, based on analyses by the UN regional commissions and other entities, and on specific topics such as just, inclusive and equitable energy transitions and energy’s interlinkages with other SDGs. Mr. Ibrekk framed the policy briefs by stating that, at halftime in the push to achieve SDG7, we are way down in terms of the score, and the opposition is ahead of us. The numbers are clear and we have a daunting challenge, but we have to stick to this political goal: our work is cut out for us!
Ms. Oparaocha presented the key recommendations made in the Policy Briefs, including:
- Establishing a permanent platform for intergovernmental dialogues on energy at the UN, with strong engagement of business, civil society, youth and other stakeholders.
- Taking needed action immediately to provide electricity access to those lacking, with a focus on LDCs and sub-Saharan Africa;
- Mobilizing decisive global action on clean cooking, which has seen minimal progress in recent years;
- Urgently accelerating just, equitable energy transitions to achieve net-zero by 2050, and boosting renewable energy where it is lagging, especially in transport, industry, heating and cooling, as well as significantly increasing energy efficiency improvements;
- Tripling investment flows for clean energy, and dramatically scaling up investment into the most vulnerable countries;
- Boosting the overall impacts of energy action by better capitalizing on the links between SDG7 and other Goals, and across the various SDG7 targets on energy access, efficiency, and renewables;
- Investing in transformative partnerships that can rapidly expand progress towards SDG 7;
- Giving utmost importance to ensuring equal representation of women in decision-making and the workforce within the energy sector, and strengthening regional cooperation to boost resilience and efficiency.
Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report
An overview of the findings of the Energy Progress Report was given by Ms. Maria Neira, Director of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health at WHO, which chaired the report writing process this year, rotating among the five organizations that are custodians of the SDG7 data. She noted how crucial access to clean energy is for health, that without electricity, hospitals and clinics cannot function. The report shows that 2.3 billion people still rely on cooking fuels that harm their health and the environment, with 3.2 million people dying each year from illness caused by the use of polluting fuels and technologies. The report provides a very complete diagnosis, but the patient is still sick, she said, concluding that we need to scale up ambition, speed and financing, with no excuses for lack of acceleration.
Mr. Demetrios Papathanasiou, Global Director of Energy and Extractives at the World Bank, said that, looking at the numbers, we have seen quite impressive growth in the number of people with electricity, but not enough to reach the SDG7 goal. The report shows that 675 million people are still without electricity, over 80% of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. At this rate, with population growth, by 2030, 660 million people will still be lacking; we must double the pace every year until then.
Looking at the report's findings on renewable energy, Ms. Rabia Ferroukhi, Director of the Knowledge, Policy and Finance Centre at IRENA, noted that renewable electricity use in global consumption has grown from 26.3% in 2019 to 28.2% in 2020, the largest single-year increase since the start of tracking progress for the SDGs. However, efforts to increase renewables’ share in heating and transport, which represent more than three quarters of global energy consumption, remain off target to achieve 1.5oC climate objectives.
Ms. Ferroukhi also stated that International public financial flows in support of clean energy in developing countries stand at US$ 10.8 billion in 2021, having declined for the third year in a row, with 80% of the commitments going to just 19 countries. To meet SDG 7 targets, the report says that it is necessary to structurally reform international public finance and define new opportunities to unlock investments. Regarding energy efficiency, Mr. Nick Johnston, Chief Statistician and Head of the Energy Data Centre at IEA, stated that to reach SDG7, energy intensity improvements must be doubled. Mr. Stefan Schweinfest, Director of the United Nations Statistics Division in DESA, called for enchanced capacity to collect and analyse energy data and statistics at the national level.
Moderator Minoru Takada of UN DESA wrapped up the event by stating that he was quite certain that important messages from the reports and discussion will be carried over into the SDG7 review at the HLPF and beyond.
