Research Paper about United Nations Sustainable Development Goal: The Urgent Call for Better Energy for a Better World

The United Nations has an extremely important message for the world, so pay attention: The Earth is sick and its people are dying from an unsustainable cycle of unaffordable and unclean energy use. Thankfully, the message includes a proposed solution to this scary truth, and it comes in the form of UN SDG-7, a global goal to “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all” (United Nations 1). This first-ever universal energy goal, with a target date of achievement of 2030, aims to address three key areas of crises: the poverty crisis, the public health crisis, and the environmental crisis. By abandoning bad energy choices such as petroleum, hydrocarbon gas liquids, natural gas, and coal, and replacing them with better energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and ocean energy, and hydropower, the global goal can be achieved. Therefore, it is extremely clear that in order to halt these crises and reverse their effects, critical action must be taken for the world to transition to affordable and reliable, modern and clean, and renewable and sustainable energy. Doing this will ensure universal improvement of the quality of life for all people and for the planet. 

Affordable and Reliable Energy

The first dimension of the U.N.’s global goal is to establish both affordable and reliable energy for all people. By doing so, the crisis facing households in almost every nation can be alleviated. Energy affordability is defined as “a household’s energy burden, or the percentage of household income spent on energy bills” (ACEEE 1). Energy reliability means “a consistent  stream of power to meet basic human needs, maintain and improve social functioning, and advance living standards'' (IOP Science 3). One key fact that supports the need for affordable energy is from the European Commission in its 2021 State of Energy Report: “Around 31 million Europeans were living in energy poverty in 2021” (Euractive 3). A second supportive fact is that “One-Fifth of Americans in 2015 reported reducing or foregoing necessities such as food and medicine to pay an energy bill” (ACEEE 1). A third piece of evidence that supports the need for energy reliability is that “20% of the world’s population still lacks access to electricity, and a larger share suffers from persistent power failures'' (IEA 3). These facts help make the case for global energy reform. Furthermore, research indicates that prioritizing access to affordable and reliable electricity will increase employment that can contribute to individual income generation, which will reduce household energy burden and increase energy affordability (IIASA 154). As well, reliable energy contributes to the fight against poverty at the society level by combating extreme hunger by increasing food production through access to mechanical power options and labor-saving appliances (154). Clearly, it is important to establish a universal right to access affordable and reliable energy.  

Modern and Clean Energy

Just as important as solving the energy poverty crisis with affordable and reliable energy is ensuring that energy is both modern and clean. This second dimension of the U.N. global goal addresses the public health crisis that impacts people living in both poor and first world countries, residing in both rural and urban areas. Modern energy “is defined by international standards as access at 50-100kWh per person per year” (IEA 3). Clean energy is “energy that emits negligible amounts of pollution in the form greenhouse gasses, radiation or chemical  contaminants” (Shipley Energy 6) One piece of evidence that supports the U.N.’s mission is that, “[g]lobally, 1 in 5 people still lack access to modern electricity” (UNEP 1). Another important statistic is that, “3 billion people still rely on wood, coal, charcoal or animal waste for cooking and heating” (1), which releases methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide (1), and makes a strong case for the U.N.s clean energy goal. Further supporting the need for clean energy is that, “[e]very year, indoor air pollution kills approximately 4.3 million people” (1), and the biggest risk factor is exposure to indoor air pollution from open fires and indoor stoves for cooking and heating (1). These facts provide evidence that meeting the second dimension of modern and clean energy will make the world a better place. For example, modern electricity standards will allow for the provision of medical services in poor and rural areas (IIASA 155) and increase the likelihood that children will attend and complete schooling (154). Additionally, cleaner energy can reduce child and maternal mortality by reducing indoor household air pollution by providing clean burning cooking and heating methods (161). It is without doubt that universal access to modern and clean energy is an essential part of the U.N.’s global goal. 

Renewable and Sustainable Energy

In addition to making sure that available energy is both modern and clean, it is also imperative that the world fully transition from fossil fuels to renewable and sustainable energy. This third dimension of the global energy goal is absolutely necessary to effectively solve the worldwide environmental crisis that impacts at all levels, from individuals to nations to continents to oceans. Renewable energy is defined as “electricity produced from natural sources that replenish, such as crops and biomatter” (Science Alert 2). Sustainable energy “comes from sources that don't need to be replenished because they can never be depleted by humans, such as sunlight and wind (Shipley Energy 4). As opposed to these good energy sources, “fossil fuels still supply 80 percent of the world’s energy” (EESI 1), even though this bad energy causes deadly air and water pollution, poisons oceans and causes severe weather and climate changes (1). An additional point in favor of renewable and sustainable energy is that “[t]he excessive harvesting of biomass fuel for electricity contributes to global deforestation - the loss of entire forests threatens the livelihoods of the poor, destroys habitats that harbor biodiversity….and contributes to 20 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions” (IIASA183). Also supporting the case for eliminating bad energy sources is that they negatively impact the environment through global warming, with the scary side effect that  “[u]nchecked, climate change could push more than 130 million people into poverty over the next ten years” (World Bank 2). Replacing bad energy sources will improve the world because: 

By transitioning to renewable and sustainable energy sources, limiting global warming to 1.5 [degrees Celsius] above pre-industrial levels, we will reduce the risk of extreme heat waves, heavy precipitation, droughts, sea-level rise, polar melting, and other dangerous climate impacts. (Conversation 2)

As well, “[r]renewable and sustainable energy provides substantial benefits for our environment, our health, and our economy, including reducing air and water pollution, damage to public health, wildlife and habitat loss, and irresponsible water and land use” (Conserve Energy Future 8). These many expected and achievable positive impacts strongly support the U.N.’s objective to transition the world to a one hundred percent renewable and sustainable energy model. 

No longer a strong consideration but a critical necessity, the global call to action to transition to renewable and sustainable, modern and clean, and affordable and reliable energy is imperative in order to break the cycles of environmental, public health, and poverty crises that bad energy has created and that plague every corner of this planet. U.N. SDG 7 supports this call to action to abandon bad energy in favor of  healthy and available solutions: solar, wind, geothermal and ocean energy, and hydropower. By reaching this vital energy goal, the U.N. will be able to support other critical goals, including: 

Poverty eradication, gender equality, climate change, food security, health education, sustainable cities and communities, clean water and sanitation, decent jobs, innovation, transport, and refugees and other situations of displacement. (United Nations 1)

SDG 7’s mission to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all (1), truly means to ensure a successful rescue mission for the ailing Earth and a higher standard of living for all its people, therefore moving ever closer to the United Nations’ vision of a perfect world.