Tracking SDG7: Energy Progress Report, 2024 – Analysis

Since its establishment in 2018 Tracking Sustainable Development Goal 7: Energy Progress Report has become a global reference point for information on progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The report is produced annually by the five agencies responsible for tracking progress towards the goal. Oversight agencies include 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).

SDG 7 aims to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.” This report therefore summarizes global progress on energy access, energy efficiency, renewable energy, clean cooking and international cooperation towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7. It presents updated statistics for each indicator and provides policy insight on priority areas and actions necessary to drive further progress on SDG 7.

Despite some progress on indicators, the current pace is not adequate to achieve any of SDG 7 for 2030. As in previous years, the pace of progress varies significantly across regions, with some regions making significant gains and others slowing progress , and even moving backwards. The main economic factors hindering the achievement of the goal include an uncertain macroeconomic outlook, high levels of inflation, distressed debt in an increasing number of countries, unequal distribution of finance and other resources, bottlenecks in the supply chain and rising material prices. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the steady rise in energy prices from summer 2021 further hamper progress, especially in the most vulnerable and already lagging countries.

For more information on how to use this report, please see the CC BY NC 3.0 IGO notice on page 2 of the report.