{"id":5256,"date":"2025-06-30T19:20:42","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T19:20:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=5256"},"modified":"2025-06-30T19:20:42","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T19:20:42","slug":"global-access-to-electricity-nears-92-but-clean-cooking-lags-behind-sdg-7-report-warns-of-uneven-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=5256","title":{"rendered":"Global Access to Electricity Nears 92%, But Clean Cooking Lags Behind: SDG 7 Report Warns of Uneven Progress."},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Global Access to Electricity Nears 92%, But Clean Cooking Lags Behind: SDG 7 Report Warns of Uneven Progress.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n

New UN report highlights disparities in energy access, calls for urgent international finance and cooperation ahead of SDG forum in New York.<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

New York:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The world is making slow but steady progress towards universal access to electricity, but access to clean cooking solutions remains critically inadequate, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2025<\/em>, released last week.<\/p>\n

The annual report, which monitors global efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7)<\/strong>\u2014ensuring affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all\u2014found that nearly 92% of the global population now has basic access to electricity<\/strong>. That marks a continued improvement since 2022, when the number of people without electricity access dropped for the first time in over a decade.<\/p>\n

However, over 666 million people still live without electricity<\/strong>, a majority of them in remote and low-income communities, highlighting the need for urgent and targeted efforts. The report concludes that at the current rate, universal electricity access by 2030 remains out of reach<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Access Gains Mask Deep Regional Disparities<\/h3>\n

Progress has been particularly notable in Central and Southern Asia<\/strong>, which reduced its access deficit from 414 million people in 2010 to just 27 million in 2023. By contrast, sub-Saharan Africa remains the epicenter of the global electricity access crisis<\/strong>, with 18 of the 20 countries with the largest access deficits<\/strong> located in the region. A staggering 85% of the global population without electricity now resides in sub-Saharan Africa<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

While electricity access shows improvement, access to clean cooking technologies continues to lag<\/strong>, worsened by the setbacks of the Covid-19 pandemic, energy price shocks, and mounting debt in developing countries. As of 2023, 2.1 billion people\u2014mostly in rural areas\u2014still rely on hazardous fuels<\/strong> such as firewood and charcoal for cooking. This has significant public health and environmental consequences, contributing to indoor air pollution and deforestation.<\/p>\n

Despite a modest increase in global clean cooking access\u2014from 64% in 2015 to 74% in 2023<\/strong>\u2014the report warns that only 78% of the global population will have access to clean cooking by 2030<\/strong> if current trends continue.<\/p>\n

Decentralised Renewables: A Key Solution<\/h3>\n

The report emphasizes the critical role of decentralised renewable energy systems<\/strong>\u2014including mini-grids and off-grid solar power\u2014in expanding access in remote and fragile regions. These technologies are cost-effective, rapidly deployable<\/strong>, and capable of reaching communities beyond the grid.<\/p>\n

Similarly, the report calls for off-grid clean cooking solutions<\/strong>, such as household biogas digesters and electric cooking supported by mini-grids<\/strong>, to address the cooking access gap.<\/p>\n

\u201cDistributed renewable energy solutions are essential to ensure no one is left behind,\u201d the report notes, especially in rural regions where centralized infrastructure is unlikely to reach by 2030.<\/p>\n

Financial Flows Show Growth but Remain Unequal<\/h3>\n

International public financial flows supporting clean energy in developing countries increased to US$ 21.6 billion in 2023<\/strong>, a 27% rise from the previous year and the third consecutive annual increase. However, flows remain below 2016 levels<\/strong>, when they peaked at US$ 28.4 billion.<\/p>\n

Crucially, the funding remains heavily concentrated<\/strong>, with only two sub-Saharan African countries among the top five recipients<\/strong>. Moreover, 83% of 2023 funding came in the form of debt<\/strong>, while grants represented just 9.8%<\/strong>, raising concerns about the sustainability of financing mechanisms for low-income countries already struggling with debt burdens.<\/p>\n

Renewable Energy and Efficiency: Progress But Not Enough<\/h3>\n

Global installed renewable energy capacity in developing countries rose to 341 watts per capita in 2023<\/strong>, more than doubling from 155 watts in 2015. Globally, installed capacity reached 478 watts per capita<\/strong>, marking a 13% increase from 2022. Yet sub-Saharan Africa lags behind with only 40 watts per capita<\/strong>, just one-eighth of the average in other developing regions.<\/p>\n

In terms of energy efficiency, primary energy intensity declined by 2.1% in 2022<\/strong>, a notable improvement over the previous year\u2019s weak performance. Still, the report warns that to meet SDG 7.3 targets, global energy intensity must improve at an average rate of 4% per year<\/strong>, nearly double the current pace.<\/p>\n

Call for Urgent International Action<\/h3>\n

To accelerate progress, the report calls for bold, coordinated international action<\/strong>. Key recommendations include:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Reforming multilateral and bilateral lending systems<\/strong> to expand the availability of public capital<\/li>\n
  • Mobilizing more concessional financing, grants, and risk mitigation tools<\/strong><\/li>\n
  • Improving donors\u2019 risk tolerance<\/strong>, particularly for investments in fragile and low-income states<\/li>\n
  • Supporting national governments with robust energy planning and regulatory frameworks<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The report warns that without scaled-up investment and cooperation<\/strong>, the world risks sliding backwards, particularly in regions already most vulnerable to energy poverty and climate impacts.<\/p>\n

    Next Steps<\/h3>\n

    The report\u2019s findings will be formally presented on July 16, 2025<\/strong>, at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)<\/strong> in New York, where world leaders and policymakers will assess global progress on the SDGs and debate solutions to close persistent gaps.<\/p>\n

    As the 2030 deadline looms, the report offers both a warning and a roadmap: significant progress is possible\u2014but only with urgent, inclusive, and sustained action.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Global Access to Electricity Nears 92%, But Clean Cooking Lags Behind: SDG 7 Report Warns of Uneven Progress.\u00a0 New UN report highlights disparities in energy […]<\/p>\n

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