- IEA, IRENA, UN DESA’s SDG 7 progress report
- 2bn, 970m in SSA, no access to clean cooking
- Urgency to deliver universal energy access target
- SDG 7 target in insufficient pace
- $24.6bn support clean energy in developing countries
At a time when energy security and affordability have risen to the top of the development agenda, 655 million people globally still lack access to electricity, and two billion others use polluting fuels and technologies for cooking, putting their health and well-being at risk, according to a latest report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) on tacking “SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report”.
The report says sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) bears a disproportionate share of these gaps, with over 560 million living without electricity, and an additional 970 million lacking access to clean cooking.
In particular, key findings across primary indicators show that: despite gains, progress remains far too slow.
In 2024, the global access rate stagnated at 92 percent, and annual growth halved compared to the previous decade.
Sub-Saharan Africa and rural populations are increasingly left behind, with the rural deficit in sub-Saharan Africa growing from 376 million in 2010 to 447 million in 2024. Achieving universal access by 2030 will now require the pace of progress to triple to 1.3 percent a year.
Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking remains the largest energy gap, affecting approximately two billion people — roughly one quarter of the world’s population.
Progress is uneven, with a stark urban-rural divide: 89 percent of the urban population have access to clean cooking compared to only 56 percent of people living in rural areas. Without stronger action, 1.8 billion people could still rely on polluting fuels like charcoal, wood, kerosene, and coal by 2030.
Sub-Saharan Africa again accounts for a disproportionate share, with the number of people lacking access expected to reach one billion by 2027. This has severe health consequences, with household air pollution being responsible for some three million deaths per year.
Renewables now supply over 30 percent of electricity, but their share in heat and transport remains limited. Despite record growth, disparities in renewable energy-generating capacity persist; renewable energy-generating capacity in low-income countries stood at only 33.6 watts per person, compared to 1,224 watts per person in high-income countries.
On energy efficiency, progress is falling short of the pace required to meet global targets, with the rate of progress falling from 2.4 percent in 2022 to 1.5 percent in 2023, the report noted.
It added that recent improvements in energy intensity remain well below the level needed to align with SDG 7, highlighting a widening gap between ambition and implementation.
“Strengthening efficiency measures across sectors is essential not only for reducing energy demand but also for lowering costs and emissions,” it added.
International public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy reveals limited growth, insufficient relative to needs, with flows marginally increasing from $24.4 billion in 2023 to $24.6 billion in 2024.
The report observed that despite the high cost of debt creating economic strain across developing countries, debt-based financing continues to be the main form of international public clean energy finance, accounting for about 80 percent of total flows in 2024.
“Grants accounted for 13 percent, while equity financing and risk guarantees remained comparatively marginal at 2 percent and 5 percent, respectively,” the report stated.
The report, which will be presented to decision-makers at a high-level political forum on SDG 7 review meeting in New York in July, warns that without urgent and scaled-up action, the world will fall short of achieving SDG 7 to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030.
Moreover, while the current global energy crisis is still unfolding, its impact on energy markets and the broader economy are expected to be significant.
Accelerating domestic renewable energy deployment is increasingly seen as essential both for strengthening energy security and affordability, as well as advancing long-term climate and development objectives.
The report further stated that distributed renewable energy solutions, including off-grid solar and mini-grids, are a cost-effective solution for electricity access, and are already serving hundreds of millions of people.
Electric cooking, bioethanol and biogas are also gaining traction as scalable renewable energy cooking solutions, helping to further diversify clean cooking pathways, it added.
Affordability remains a major obstacle to expanding electricity access, the report noted, adding that even where infrastructure is available, many households cannot afford connection fees, wiring costs or basic energy services.
“As countries work to reach the remaining unelectrified population, target subsidies, innovative financing mechanisms and least cost electrification solutions will be essential to ensure that no one is left behind,” it advised.
Financing constraints are hampering progress, with levels either insufficient to meet the SDG 7 goals or declining altogether in the poorest countries, the report observed, adding that international financial flows in support of clean energy to the least developed countries declined significantly, registering $3.7 billion in 2024, an 11 percent decrease from 2023.
Stronger political leadership, improved cross-sector coordination, and a strategic focus on the countries and communities most at risk of being left behind remain cross-cutting priorities in the lead up to 2030, notes the report.
It also stated that clear policy signals and sustained implementation are fundamental to diversifying the national energy mix, increasing renewable energy, reducing dependence on fossil fuel imports and bolstering macroeconomic resilience against global supply chain disruptions.
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