Context

• Recently SDG 7: Energy Progress Report 2024 was released.
• This report is prepared annually by the five guardian agencies responsible for tracking progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals namely; International Energy Agency, International Renewable Energy Agency, United Nations Statistics Division, World Bank and World Health Organization.

Key Findings of the Report

1. Global Energy Access: The report highlights that while global energy access has improved, significant disparities remain. Nearly 760 million people worldwide still lack electricity access, with Sub-Saharan Africa being the most affected region.
2. Renewable Energy: The deployment of renewable energy sources has accelerated globally, yet the pace needs to be quadrupled to meet the 2030 targets. Solar and wind energy are leading the transition, but challenges in grid integration and storage remain.
3. Energy Efficiency: Improvements in energy efficiency have contributed significantly to energy savings and emission reductions. However, the current rate of improvement is insufficient to meet the global targets set for 2030.
4. Clean Cooking Solutions: The report stresses the importance of clean cooking solutions, noting that 2.4 billion people still rely on traditional biomass, coal, and kerosene. This has severe health, environmental, and socio-economic impacts.

India's Energy Scenario

1. Electricity Access: India has made remarkable strides in improving electricity access. The Saubhagya scheme, launched in 2017, aimed at universal household electrification, has been largely successful. By 2024, over 99% of Indian households have been electrified.
2. Renewable Energy Transition: India is aggressively pursuing renewable energy targets. The country aims to achieve 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, and 500 GW by 2030. As of 2024, India's installed renewable energy capacity has crossed 150 GW, with solar and wind being the major contributors.
3. Energy Efficiency: The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has implemented several programs to improve energy efficiency across sectors. Initiatives like the Perform, Achieve, and Trade (PAT) scheme and UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All) have led to substantial energy savings and emission reductions.
4. Clean Cooking: The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) has been instrumental in providing LPG connections to over 80 million households, significantly reducing the reliance on traditional biomass for cooking. However, challenges remain in ensuring consistent use and affordability.

Major factors hindering the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals

Economic factors

• Uncertain macroeconomic outlook, high levels of inflation
• Debt crisis in a growing number of countries
• Uneven distribution of finance and other resources
• Supply chain bottlenecks and rising prices of materials etc.

Other factors

• Covid-19 pandemic
• War situation in Ukraine
• Continuous increase in energy prices since 2021 etc.

Way forward

Suggestions given in the report

• Efforts to increase access to energy have to be intensified.
• Encourage renewable energy.
• Energy efficiency should be improved.
• Significantly increase financial assistance to developing countries for clean energy initiatives, etc.

Important facts for exam

International Energy Agency

• Type: Intergovernmental organisation
• Established: 1974
• Headquarters: Paris
• Objective: To maintain the stability of international oil supply.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals

1. Eliminate all forms of poverty from the whole world.
2. End hunger, promote food security and improved nutrition and sustainable agriculture.
3. Promote health security and healthy lives among people of all ages. 
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education. 
5. Achieve gender equality. 
6. Ensure availability of sanitation and sustainable water management for all.
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy.
8. Promote sustained inclusive and sustainable economic growth for all. 
9. Promote resilient infrastructure, inclusive and sustainable industrialization. 
10. Reduce inequality between and within countries. 
11. Build safe, resilient and sustainable cities and human settlements. 
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. 
13. Take urgent action to address climate change and its impacts. 
14. Conserve and use oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. 
15. Secure the conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. 
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development. 
17. Revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development and strengthen the means of implementation.