SDG 7: AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY: Status and role in transforming India

摘要

Energy has always been at the centre of growth, and the world has seen significant transformation in types of energy utilized across generations. Access to essential resources, such as water,food, and housing, is dependent on availability of energy.Transition from reliance on human- and animal-based power sources to modern forms of energy sources has been the main reason for rapid change in growth pattern.The negative consequences of dependence on coal-, oil-, and gas-based thermal power plants; large hydro-power plants for electricity generation; and fossil fuels for transportation is being felt across the globe; and thus a comprehensive plan is required for bringing a change in energy production and utilization pattern. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 is a step towards this cause (Figure 1). It targets to cut down over-reliance on fossil fuels, bring the renewable energy (solar, wind, geo-thermal, tidal, small-hydro, etc.) in to mainstream, work on developing technologies that could make this shift feasible, and also the output, that is, clean energy affordable to all. SDG 7 realizes that there is significant disparity in terms of energy availability and access across the globe; thus, it emphasizes specifically on bettering the situation in developing and least developed countries. As per the IEA report of 2017, 1.2 billion (16% of world population) people have no access to electricity and 2.7 billion (36% of world population) still cook their food using dangerous, polluting stoves. Figure 2 clearly shows the disparity in access to electricity across the globe. Africa specifically is lagging behind others and therefore needs special support.