SDGs Advanced – Energy

Although progress has been made in improving access to safe drinking water, billions of people—most of whom live in rural regions—still lack access to these services. According to statistics, one out of every four health care institutions lacks essential water services. Three out of every ten people do not have access to clean drinking water, and six out of every ten people do not have access to clean lavatories. Access to basic sanitation services, such as toilets and bathrooms, is not available to 2.4 billion people.

People’s well-being is strongly tied to energy which is not merely a basic necessity. Businesses, health, and education, as well as agriculture, infrastructure, communications, high-technology, and the environment, can all benefit from an energy system. However, 13 percent of the world’s population lacks access to modern electricity. Data shows that 3 billion people still rely on wood, coal, charcoal, or animal waste for cooking and heating. As a result, it causes harm to one’s health.
Indoor air pollution caused by the use of combustible fuels for household energy resulted in the deaths of 4.3 million people in 2012. 6 out of every 10 of these are women and girls. Noncommunicable diseases such as stroke, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer are all caused by air pollution in households.

The energy sector also contributes significantly to climate change, accounting for nearly 60 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. In 2015, global greenhouse gas emissions were estimated to be around 47 billion metric tons, based on carbon dioxide equivalents.

Due to substantial growth in hydropower, wind, and solar energy, the share of renewables rose at the quickest rate since 2012, up 0.24 percent, reaching nearly 17.5 percent in 2016.

To grow their crops more efficiently, innovative farmers have turned to biofuel. Growing biofuel crops is considered renewable because plants can be easily and quickly replenished. As a side benefit, producers can use oilseeds in multi-year crop rotations and have a reliable source of feed production.

Solar energy is a clean, sustainable source of energy that is used for heating water, farming equipment, and buildings and barns. Greenery and tropical fruits can be grown throughout the winter using solar power. Meanwhile, wind energy is the fastest-growing energy technology in the world. The wind’s force is transformed into mechanical or electrical energy, which is used by many farmers to pump water.