Sustainable Development Goal 7
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Sustainable Development Goal 7 is to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all”, according the United Nations.
The visualizations and data below present the global perspective on where the world stands today and how it has changed over time.
More information on energy access and sources can be found at the Our World in Data topic page on Energy.
The UN has defined 5 targets and 6 indicators for SDG 7. Targets specify the goals and indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all targets and show the data on the agreed indicators.
Target 7.1Universal access to modern energy
SDG Indicator 7.1.1Access to electricity
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 7.1.1 is the “proportion of population with access to electricity” in the UN SDG framework.
This indicator is measured as the share of the population that has access to consistent sources of electricity, focusing on access where the primary source of lighting is the local energy provider, solar systems, mini-grids and stand-alone systems. It does not consider more limited back-up sources like generators or batteries.
Data for this indicator is shown in the interactive visualization.
Target: “By 2030 ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services.”
This requires universal access to electricity by 2030.
More research: Further data and research on this topic can be found at the Our World in Data topic page on Energy.
SDG Indicator 7.1.2Access to clean fuels for cooking
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 7.1.2 is the “proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology” in the UN SDG framework.
This is measured as the share of the total population using clean fuels and technologies for cooking, heating and lighting, out of the total population that report using any fuel for cooking, heating, or lighting. Use of clean fuels or technologies such as natural gas, electricity, or clean cookstoves reduce exposure to indoor air pollutants, a leading cause of death and disease in low-income households.
Data for this indicator is shown in the interactive visualization.
Target: “By 2030 ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services.”
This requires universal access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking by 2030.
More research: Further data and research on this topic can be found at the Our World in Data topic page on Indoor Air Pollution.
Target 7.2Increase global percentage of renewable energy
SDG Indicator 7.2.1Renewable energy
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 7.2.1 is “renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption” in the UN SDG framework.
This is measured as consumption of renewable energy – which includes solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, bioenergy, and marine sources – as a share of final energy consumption. Final energy consumption is defined as the total energy consumption after subtracting non-energy use and energy losses.
Data for this indicator is shown in the interactive visualization.
Target: “By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.”
More research: Further data and research on this topic can be found at the Our World in Data topic page on Energy.
Additional charts
Target 7.3Double the improvement in energy efficiency
SDG Indicator 7.3.1Energy efficiency
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 7.3.1 is “energy intensity measured in terms of primary energy and GDP” in the UN SDG framework.
This is measured as the energy supplied to the economy per unit value of economic output. It’s given in megajoules per dollar (adjusted for cross-country price differences and inflation).
Data for this indicator is shown in the interactive visualization.
Target: “By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.”
More research: Further data and research on this topic can be found at the Our World in Data topic page on Energy.
Additional charts
Target 7.aPromote access, technology and investments in clean energy
SDG Indicator 7.a.1Access and investments in clean energy
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 7.a.1 is “international financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy research and development and renewable energy production, including in hybrid systems” in the UN SDG framework.
This indicator is measured in terms of two sources of financial flows. The first, which is monitored by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), refers to relevant official loans, grants, and equity investments from donor countries and multilateral agencies to countries eligible to receive official development assistance who are thus on the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) List. The second, which is monitored by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), refers to additional relevant loans, grants, and equity investments to countries in developing regions (as defined by the United Nations). Relevant purposes include both hybrid and fully renewable sources.
The units of measurement are million United States dollars at constant prices, with the base year for prices updating with subsequent data releases.
Data for this indicator is shown in the interactive visualization.
Target: “Enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology” by 2030.
Target 7.bExpand and upgrade energy services for developing countries
SDG Indicator 7.b.1Expanding energy services for developing countries
Definition of the SDG indicator: Indicator 7.B.1 is “installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing countries (in watts per capita)” in the UN SDG framework.
This indicator is defined as the installed capacity of renewable energy-based power plants, divided by the total population of a country. This includes capacity from power plants using hydropower, marine, wind, solar, bioenergy, and geothermal energy.
Data for this indicator is shown in the interactive visualization.
Target: “Expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries, in accordance with their respective programmes of support” by 2030.
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Our articles and data visualizations rely on work from many different people and organizations. When citing this article, please also cite the underlying data sources. This article can be cited as:
Our World in Data team (2023) - “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all” Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/sdgs/affordable-clean-energy' [Online Resource]BibTeX citation
@article{owid-sdgs-affordable-clean-energy,
author = {Our World in Data team},
title = {Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all},
journal = {Our World in Data},
year = {2023},
note = {https://ourworldindata.org/sdgs/affordable-clean-energy}
}
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