Latest news with #SDG7
Scoop
3 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Energy Access Has Improved, Yet International Financial Support Still Needed To Boost Progress And Address Disparities
Washington, New York, Paris, Geneva, Abu Dhabi, 25 June 2025 – Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2025 finds that almost 92% of the world's population now has basic access to electricity Although this is an improvement since 2022, which saw the number of people without basic access decrease for the first time in a decade, over 666 million people remain without access, indicating that the current rate is insufficient to reach universal access by 2030. Clean cooking access is progressing but below the rates of progress seen in the 2010s, as efforts remain hobbled by setbacks during the Covid-19 pandemic, following energy price shocks, and debt crises. Released today, the latest edition of the annual report that tracks progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 highlights the role of distributed renewable energy (a combination of mini-grid and off-grid solar systems) to accelerate access, since the population remaining unconnected lives mostly in remote, lower-income, and fragile areas. Cost-effective and rapidly scalable, decentralised solutions are able to reach communities in such rural areas. Decentralised solutions are also needed to increase access to clean cooking. With an estimated 1.5 billion people residing in rural areas still lacking access to clean cooking, the use of off-grid clean technologies, such as household biogas plants and mini-grids that facilitate electric cooking, can provide solutions that reduce health impacts caused by household air pollution. Over 2 billion people remain dependent on polluting and hazardous fuels such as firewood and charcoal for their cooking needs. Notable progress was made in different indicators. The international financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy grew for the third year in a row to reach USD 21.6 billion in 2023. Installed renewables capacity per capita continued to increase year-on-year to reach a new high of 341 watts per capita in developing countries, up from 155 watts in 2015. Yet regional disparities persist, indicating that particular support is needed for developing regions. In sub-Saharan Africa – which lags behind across most indicators – renewables deployment has rapidly expanded but remains limited to 40 watts of installed capacity per capita on average which is only one-eighth of the average of other developing countries. Eighty-five percent of the global population without electricity access reside in the region, while four in five families are without access to clean cooking. And the number of people without clean cooking access in the region continues to grow at a rate of 14 million people yearly. The report identified the lack of sufficient and affordable financing as a key reason for regional inequalities and slow progress. To build on the achievements to date and avoid any further regressions on access to electricity and clean cooking due to looming risks in global markets, the report calls for strengthened international cooperation of public and private sectors, to scale up financial support for developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Urgent actions include reforms in multilateral and bilateral lending to expand the availability of public capital; more concessional finance mobilisation, grants, and risk mitigation instruments; improvement in risk tolerance among donors; as well as appropriate national energy planning and regulations. Key findings across primary indicators Almost 92% of the world's population now has access to electricity, leaving over 666 million people without electricity in 2023, with around 310 million people gaining access since 2015. Eighteen of the 20 countries with the largest electricity access deficits in 2023 were in sub-Saharan Africa. The greatest growth in access between 2020 and 2023 occurred in Central and Southern Asia, with both regions making significant strides towards universal electricity access, reducing their basic access gap from 414 million in 2010 to just 27 million in 2023. Little to no change was observed in access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking between 2022 and 2023. Although the number of the world's population with access to clean cooking fuels and technologies increased from 64% in 2015 to 74% in 2023, around 2.1 billion people remain dependent on polluting fuels and technologies. If current trends continue, only 78% of the global population will have access to clean cooking by 2030. In 2022, the global share of renewable energy sources in total final energy consumption (TFEC) was 17.9% as TFEC continued to increase gradually, while installed renewable energy capacity reached 478 watts per capita in 2023, indicating almost 13% growth from 2022. But progress is not sufficient to meet international climate and sustainable development goals. In addition, global efforts must address significant disparities. Despite progress in expanding renewable capacity, least developed countries and sub-Saharan Africa had only 40 watts per capita in installed renewables capacity, compared to developed countries which had over 1,100 watts installed. Global energy efficiency experienced sluggish progress in recent years. The global trend shows that primary energy intensity, defined as the ratio of total energy supply to gross domestic product, declined by 2.1% in 2022. Although it is an improvement of more than four times the weak 0.5% improvement rate of 2021, it is insufficient to meet the original SDG 7.3 target. Going forward, energy intensity needs to improve by 4% per year on average. International public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy increased by 27% from 2022, reaching USD 21.6 billion in 2023. However, the report reveals that the developing world received fewer flows in 2023 than in 2016, when commitments peaked at USD 28.4 billion. Despite gradual diversification, funding remained concentrated, with only two sub-Saharan African countries in the top five recipients. Debt-based instruments drove most of the increase in international public flows in 2023, accounting for 83% in 2023, while grants made up only 9.8% of flows. The report will be presented to decision-makers at a special launch event on 16 July 2025 at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York, which oversees progress on the SDGs. QUOTES Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency ' Despite progress in some parts of the world, the expansion of electricity and clean cooking access remains disappointingly slow, especially in Africa. This is contributing to millions of premature deaths each year linked to smoke inhalation, and is holding back development and education opportunities. Greater investment in clean cooking and electricity supply is urgently required, including support to reduce the cost of capital for projects.' Francesco La Camera, Director-General, International Renewable Energy Agency ' Renewables have seen record growth in recent years, reminding the world of its affordability, scalability, and its role in further reducing energy poverty. But we must accelerate progress at this crunch time. This means overcoming challenges, which include infrastructure gaps. The lack of progress, especially on infrastructure, is a reflection of limited access to financing. Although international financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy grew to USD 21.6 billion in 2023, only two regions in the world have seen real progress in the financial flows. To close the access and infrastructure gaps, we need strengthened international cooperation to scale up affordable financing and impact–driven capital for the least developed and developing countries.' Stefan Schweinfest, Director, United Nations Statistics Division ' This year's report shows that now is the time to come together to build on existing achievements and scale up our efforts. Despite advancements in increasing renewables-based electricity, which now makes up almost 30 percent of global electricity consumption, the use of renewables for other energy-related purposes remains stagnant. While energy intensity improved in 2022, overall progress remains weak, threatening economic growth and the energy efficiency goals agreed upon at COP28. The clock is ticking. The findings of this year's report should serve as a rallying point, to rapidly mobilize efforts and investments, so that together, we ensure sustainable energy for all by 2030.' Guangzhe Chen, Vice President for Infrastructure, World Bank 'As we approach the five-year mark to achieve the SDG7 targets, it is imperative to accelerate the deployment of electricity connections, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, where half of the 666 million people lacking access reside. As part of the Mission 300 movement, 12 African nations have launched national energy compacts, in which they commit to substantial reforms to lower costs of generation and transmission, and scale up distributed renewable energy solutions. Initiatives such as this unite governments, the private sector, and development partners in a collaborative effort. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, World Health Organization ' The same pollutants that are poisoning our planet are also poisoning people, contributing to millions of deaths each year from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, particularly among the most vulnerable, including women and children,' said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. 'We urgently need scaled-up action and investment in clean cooking solutions to protect the health of both people and planet—now and in the future.' About the report This report is published by the SDG 7 custodian agencies, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO) and aims to provide the international community with a global dashboard to register progress on energy access, energy efficiency, renewable energy and international cooperation to advance SDG 7. This year's edition was chaired by IRENA. The report can be downloaded at Funding for the report was provided by the World Bank's Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP).
Hans India
3 days ago
- General
- Hans India
GITAM achieves global recognition in THE rankings
Visakhapatnam: GITAM Deemed to be University earned significant global recognition in the recently announced Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2025. The prestigious rankings evaluate universities across the globe on their contributions to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), utilising 220 indicators and 105 comprehensive metrics to assess impact. In a major milestone, GITAM has been ranked across all 17 SDGs, a distinction achieved by only a select group of higher education institutions worldwide. This accomplishment places the institution among an elite cadre of global universities that are actively driving sustainable development and societal progress. A standout achievement in this year's rankings is the institution's global top 100 rank in SDG 7 – affordable and clean energy, where the institution secured the 81st position internationally, showcasing its commitment to promoting clean and accessible energy solutions. R Raja Prabhu, director, accreditation, rankings & IQAC, highlighted the institution's progressive journey towards sustainability. In the state of Andhra Pradesh, the institution stands as the only higher education institution to achieve the top position in fulfilling a wide array of SDG targets, including quality education, good health and wellbeing, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, industry, innovation and infrastructure, climate action, etc.
Zawya
6 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Energy access has improved, yet international financial support still needed to boost progress and address disparities
Washington, New York, Paris, Geneva, Abu Dhabi - Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2025 finds that almost 92% of the world's population now has basic access to electricity. Although this is an improvement since 2022, which saw the number of people without basic access decrease for the first time in a decade, over 666 million people remain without access, indicating that the current rate is insufficient to reach universal access by 2030. Clean cooking access is progressing but below the rates of progress seen in the 2010s, as efforts remain hobbled by setbacks during the Covid-19 pandemic, following energy price shocks, and debt crises. Released today, the latest edition of the annual report that tracks progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 highlights the role of distributed renewable energy (a combination of mini-grid and off-grid solar systems) to accelerate access, since the population remaining unconnected lives mostly in remote, lower-income, and fragile areas. Cost-effective and rapidly scalable, decentralised solutions are able to reach communities in such rural areas. Decentralised solutions are also needed to increase access to clean cooking. With an estimated 1.5 billion people residing in rural areas still lacking access to clean cooking, the use of off-grid clean technologies, such as household biogas plants and mini-grids that facilitate electric cooking, can provide solutions that reduce health impacts caused by household air pollution. Over 2 billion people remain dependent on polluting and hazardous fuels such as firewood and charcoal for their cooking needs. Notable progress was made in different indicators. The international financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy grew for the third year in a row to reach USD 21.6 billion in 2023. Installed renewables capacity per capita continued to increase year-on-year to reach a new high of 341 watts per capita in developing countries, up from 155 watts in 2015. Francesco La Camera, Director-General of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says: 'Renewables have seen record growth in recent years, reminding the world of its affordability, scalability, and its role in further reducing energy poverty. But we must accelerate progress at this crunch time. This means overcoming challenges, which include infrastructure gaps. The lack of progress, especially on infrastructure, is a reflection of limited access to financing. Although international financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy grew to USD 21.6 billion in 2023, only two regions in the world have seen real progress in the financial flows. To close the access and infrastructure gaps, we need strengthened international cooperation to scale up affordable financing and impact–driven capital for the least developed and developing countries.' Yet regional disparities persist, indicating that particular support is needed for developing regions. In sub-Saharan Africa – which lags behind across most indicators – renewables deployment has rapidly expanded but remains limited to 40 watts of installed capacity per capita on average, which is only one-eighth of the average of other developing countries. Eighty-five percent of the global population without electricity access reside in the region, while four in five families are without access to clean cooking. And the number of people without clean cooking access in the region continues to grow at a rate of 14 million people yearly. The report identified the lack of sufficient and affordable financing as a key reason for regional inequalities and slow progress. To build on the achievements to date and avoid any further regressions on access to electricity and clean cooking due to looming risks in global markets, the report calls for strengthened international cooperation of public and private sectors, to scale up financial support for developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Urgent actions include reforms in multilateral and bilateral lending to expand the availability of public capital; more concessional finance mobilisation, grants, and risk mitigation instruments; improvement in risk tolerance among donors; as well as appropriate national energy planning and regulations. Key findings across primary indicators: Almost 92% of the world's population now has access to electricity, leaving over 666 million people without electricity in 2023, with around 310 million people gaining access since 2015. Eighteen of the 20 countries with the largest electricity access deficits in 2023 were in sub-Saharan Africa. The greatest growth in access between 2020 and 2023 occurred in Central and Southern Asia, with both regions making significant strides towards universal electricity access, reducing their basic access gap from 414 million in 2010 to just 27 million in 2023. Little to no change was observed in access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking between 2022 and 2023. Although the number of the world's population with access to clean cooking fuels and technologies increased from 64% in 2015 to 74% in 2023, around 2.1 billion people remain dependent on polluting fuels and technologies. If current trends continue, only 78% of the global population will have access to clean cooking by 2030. In 2022, the global share of renewable energy sources in total final energy consumption (TFEC) was 17.9% as TFEC continued to increase gradually, while installed renewable energy capacity reached 478 watts per capita in 2023, indicating almost 13% growth from 2022. But progress is not sufficient to meet international climate and sustainable development goals. In addition, global efforts must address significant disparities. Despite progress in expanding renewable capacity, least developed countries and sub-Saharan Africa had only 40 watts per capita in installed renewables capacity, compared to developed countries which had over 1,100 watts installed. Global energy efficiency experienced sluggish progress in recent years. The global trend shows that primary energy intensity, defined as the ratio of total energy supply to gross domestic product, declined by 2.1% in 2022. Although it is an improvement of more than four times the weak 0.5% improvement rate of 2021, it is insufficient to meet the original SDG 7.3 target. Going forward, energy intensity needs to improve by 4% per year on average. International public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy increased by 27% from 2022, reaching USD 21.6 billion in 2023. However, the report reveals that the developing world received fewer flows in 2023 than in 2016, when commitments peaked at USD 28.4 billion. Despite gradual diversification, funding remained concentrated, with only two sub-Saharan African countries in the top five recipients. Debt-based instruments drove most of the increase in international public flows in 2023, accounting for 83% in 2023, while grants made up only 9.8% of flows. The report will be presented to decision-makers at a special launch event on 16 July 2025 at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York, which oversees progress on the SDGs. About the report This report is published by the SDG 7 custodian agencies, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO) and aims to provide the international community with a global dashboard to register progress on energy access, energy efficiency, renewable energy and international cooperation to advance SDG 7. This year's edition was chaired by IRENA. The report can be downloaded at Funding for the report was provided by the World Bank's Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). About the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) IRENA is the lead intergovernmental agency for the renewables-based energy transition in pursuit of a systemic change across the energy sectors. A global energy agency comprised of 169 countries and the EU, with 14 additional countries in accession, IRENA provides knowledge, technical assistance and capacity building, project and investment facilitation. The Agency enables international cooperation and partnerships to fight climate change and promote sustainable development, energy access, energy security and resilient economies and societies.
India Today
18-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
Only 2 Indian universities in top 50 in THE Impact Rankings 2025, 4 in top 100
The Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2025 are out, and while the world sees a clear shift towards Asia in university sustainability efforts, India's presence in the top tier remains of 2,526 universities assessed across 130 countries for their work on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), only two Indian institutions made it to the top 50, and just four made it into the top is despite the fact that a total of 135 Indian institutes made it to the THE Rankings this year. India saw Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Rank 41) and Lovely Professional University (Rank 48) as its top performers. JSS Academy of Higher Education (Rank 48) and Shoolini University (Rank 48) also made it to the top 100. The rest of the Indian universities are scattered across ranks below Impact Rankings measure how universities around the world are tackling some of the biggest global problems -- from climate action and quality education to gender equality and decent work. The rankings are based on performance across various SDGs, looking at things like research, outreach, and campus TOP PERFORMERSAmrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is India's top-ranked university this year, sitting at Rank 41 ranked 5th for Quality Education (SDG 4), 6th for Clean Energy (SDG 7), and among the global top 100 in several others, including Gender Equality and also scored a perfect 100/100 in areas like lifelong learning, student access, and clean water Professional University (LPU) has jumped into the top 50 for the first time with a global rank of 5th globally for SDG 7, 6th for SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), and 8th for SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). With a total score of 92.6, it outranked several top global names like MIT and the IIMs in University, with an overall global rank 96, also made a strong case by ranking 38 for SDG 13 (Climate Action), 21 for SDG 7, and 22 for SDG 6 (Clean Water). It placed in the top 100 globally for several other SDGs as these achievements, only four Indian universities feature in the top 100, suggesting that many others have a long way to go when it comes to real-world sustainability are the top Indian institutes (under global Rank 400) listed in the THE Impact Rankings 2025:Rank in IndiaGlobal RankUniversity NameLocation1=41Amrita Vishwa VidyapeethamTamil Nadu2=48Lovely Professional UniversityPunjab3=56JSS Academy of Higher Education and ResearchKarnataka4=96Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management SciencesHimachal Pradesh5101–200Anna UniversityTamil Nadu6101–200B. S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and TechnologyTamil Nadu7101–200KIIT UniversityOdisha8101–200Manipal Academy of Higher EducationKarnataka9201–300Nitte (Deemed to be University)Karnataka10301–400Centurion University of Technology and ManagementOdisha11301–400Chitkara UniversityPunjab12301–400Dr D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, PuneMaharashtra13301–400Indian Institute of Technology GandhinagarGujarat14301–400Manipal University JaipurRajasthan15301–400Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical SciencesTamil Nadu16301–400Shiv Nadar UniversityUttar Pradeshadvertisement(Note: The rankings as mentioned below are at time accompanied by '=' which indicates that the position is shared by other institutes. From Rank 100 onwards, THE provides rankings in batches of 100 or more)ASIAN UNIVERSITIES ON THE RISEWestern Sydney University (Australia) retained its number one spot globally for the fourth year in a in a clear shift, Asian universities now dominate, claiming more than half the places in the global rankings. In fact, 22 of the top 50 ranks are now held by Asian institutions, and 10 of the 17 SDG categories have Asian universities at the top. Malaysia's Universiti Sains Malaysia alone leads in three SDGs, including No Poverty and Partnerships for the Korea's Kyungpook National University has climbed to 3rd place Indonesia's Universitas Airlangga made a mark as the highest-ranking university from an emerging economy, standing at joint ninth, by pushing sustainability through initiatives like green transport and open public like Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pusan National University, and Lingnan University (Hong Kong) have also made impressive are the top 10 institutes listed in the THE Impact Rankings 2025 (overall rankings):RankUniversity NameLocation1Western Sydney UniversityAustralia2University of ManchesterUnited Kingdom3Kyungpook National University (KNU)South Korea=4Griffith UniversityAustralia=4University of TasmaniaAustralia=6Arizona State University (Tempe)United States=6Queen's UniversityCanada8University of AlbertaCanada=9Aalborg UniversityDenmark=9Universitas AirlanggaIndonesia(Note: The rankings as mentioned below are at time accompanied by '=' which indicates that the position is shared by other institutes.)Check the full THE Impact Rankings 2025 hereAs the push for sustainable education gains global momentum, Indian universities may need to rethink how they integrate SDGs into their policies and programmes — not just on paper, but on the ground too.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India, other BRICS nations call for increased concessional financing for low-carbon energy transition
India along with BRICS countries has called for increased concessional and low-cost financing from developed nations to help emerging nations transition towards low-carbon energy usage. Union Minister for Power Manohar Lal is leading a delegation to attend the BRICS Energy Ministers' Meeting which began on May 19 in Brazil. Apart from India and Brazil, BRICS countries include Russia, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. "Affirming each country's right to determine its own energy transition path and pace, the ministers advocated efficient use of all energy sources and called for increased concessional and low-cost financing from developed to developing nations," a power ministry statement said on Tuesday. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Nguyen Cu Trinh: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More The energy ministers also highlighted the role of the New Development Bank (NDB) in promoting sustainable energy infrastructure , especially through local currency financing. At the Energy Ministers' meeting, the participants called for stronger partnerships, supported open, fair, and non-discriminatory international energy markets, and encouraged the use of local currencies in energy trade, the statement said. Live Events The ministers also advocated for the adoption of fair, transparent, and consistent guidelines for assessing carbon intensity, energy classification, and mutual recognition of taxonomies and certifications. Underscoring energy security as vital for socio-economic development, they highlighted the importance of market stability, resilient infrastructure, diversified energy sources, and critical minerals for clean technologies . In his address, Lal underscored the vital role of fossil fuels in the global energy mix -- especially for developing countries -- and urged greater cooperation to promote their cleaner and efficient use through technologies such as coal gasification, carbon capture and storage, and green chemical innovations. BRICS energy ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening energy security and advancing UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), focusing on universal electricity access, clean cooking, and tackling energy poverty. "They emphasised the need for just, inclusive, and balanced energy transitions in response to climate change," the statement said. Highlighting India's achievements in the energy sector over the past decade, Lal said the country has increased its electricity capacity by 90 per cent to reach 475 GW in 2025 and aims to achieve 900 GW by 2032. Besides, India is launching a domestic carbon credit market, and invites interested players from across the globe for collaborations, Lal said. As per the statement, the BRICS ministers have also reaffirmed the goal to double energy efficiency by 2030 and emphasised enhanced cooperation and knowledge sharing.
