2020 marks the beginning of a final ‘decade of action’ to achieve SDG7 — access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Yet the latest data shows that we are off track to meet these targets, and the global pandemic risks derailing progress even further.

Despite some progress in recent years, 789 million people still lack access to electricity today. A further 2.8 billion people – a third of the world’s population - have no access to clean cooking fuels and technologies, with numbers barely moving over the last decade. Further, despite the huge economic and environmental opportunity of energy efficiency and renewable energy, there has only been incremental progress over the last few years.  

With ambitious action we can still achieve SDG7 by 2030 but the next few years are critical to increase energy access and deliver an energy transition that is truly inclusive, equitable and leaves no one behind – especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. With SEforALL’s unique mandate from the United Nations to drive action on SDG7, in full alignment with the Paris Agreement, the new business plan released today underscores why the organization’s global leadership is pivotal to meet this vision, and demonstrates a commitment to develop, implement and sustain solutions to achieve universal energy access by 2030.  

The launch of the new business plan follows the implementation of a new strategy for SEforALL introduced by Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy, who took over the reins at SEforALL at the start of 2020. Speaking on the release of the business plan, she said: “As we embark on the final decade for achieving SDG7, we must expand beyond advocacy to action. We call on other organizations to do the same.  

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unparalleled economic, political and social challenges. The crisis has also clearly shown that energy access saves lives. We now have an opportunity to not only recover better by investing in sustainable energy to help advance energy access, but also support progress on the other SDGs and the Paris Agreement while building a more resilient, inclusive global economy. This ambitious three-year plan is our commitment to help deliver sustainable energy for all by 2030.”  

Under the new business plan, SEforALL has strategically chosen to strengthen global agenda-setting while expanding its activities to an engagement model that prioritizes data-driven decision-making, partnerships with high-impact countries and implementation on the ground.  

SEforALL will focus on driving impact in key areas, including:

• Securing and tracking new commitments from countries and companies through ‘energy compacts’ to meet SDG7 and energy transitions.
• Accelerating the adoption of best-in-class integrated energy plans and policy and regulatory frameworks to guide efforts and drive investment in the sustainable energy sector.
• Ensuring that scaled-up and appropriate finance is flowing towards sustainable energy and energy access, including continuing to track and report on finance flows annually through the Energizing Finance research series.
• Supporting a significant increase in the pace of new energy connections, including implementing a new results-based financing facility in partnership with donors, and supporting sustainable energy for healthcare facilities.
• Mainstreaming inclusive and gender-sensitive action on energy, including supporting more women entering and advancing in the sustainable energy sector.  

At the start of this final and decisive decade to achieve access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, this new strategy and business plan positions SEforALL to be at the centre of a renewed global compact that recommits countries and companies to the actions necessary to achieve SDG7 by 2030. Advancing energy access will also advance progress on all the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement commitments and help to build a more resilient, inclusive global economy post-COVID-19.  

Read the three-year business plan in full here and follow SEforALL on Twitter for all the latest news and updates.

Business Plan at a glance

Three simple actions you can take

1. Spread the word about our campaign

Use our campaign toolkit to start a conversation about the importance of sustainable cooling for all and the impact it will have on high-risk communities across the world.

2. Find the best cooling solutions

Browse our solutions directory or use the Cooling for All Solutions Tool to find the solutions that match your country's or community's needs.

3. Learn why sustainable cooling is so important

Read our insight stories and understand why sustainable cooling is so important to build a stronger, more resilient world. 

9 July: Sustainable energy solutions for economic recovery: Clean cooling solutions and sustainable renewables risk mitigation

This event is being presented by the World Bank's Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). It is focused on the progress and activities taken since the UN Secretary-General's Climate Action Summit on the Cooling, Energy Storage and SRMI initiatives.

Damilola Ogunbiyi will provide opening remarks focusing on sustainable cooling, including cold chains, being an essential part of stimulus packages and economic recovery. She will also announce the launch of SEforALL's This Is Cool campaign and the 2020 Chilling Prospects report on 16 July.

Energy inefficiency is costing us

Slow progress on energy efficiency is undermining efforts towards all SDG7 targets and carbon reduction.

Since peaking at a 3 percent rate of improvement in 2015, this year’s report shows a continuing decline in the pace of progress on energy efficiency. The rate of improvement from 2016 to 2017 was down to 1.7 percent, which is the lowest rate of improvement since 2010 and far from the 3 percent rate of annual improvement needed each year.  

The 3 percent target remains within reach, but coordinated efforts are needed between governments and partners to double annual investment in energy efficiency by 2025, and double again between 2025 and 2040, according to IEA (2018) analysis.

To encourage this investment, countries and organizations need to make public commitments, for example through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and cross-sector Energy Compacts, like the Three Percent Club on energy efficiency, to support the implementation of energy efficiency economy-wide.

The renewable energy opportunity is still to be fully realized

Decentralized, renewable solutions that will be essential for providing energy access to millions are not being deployed fast enough, and renewable energy uptake is moving at a moderate pace.

As we focus on accelerating the uptake of modern renewables for electricity, heat and the transport sector, it becomes important for each country to realize the advantages of integrated and comprehensive energy policy and planning based on data and evidence.

Universal Integrated Energy Planning, for example, can address planning, policy and programs of energy access and clean cooking, combined with energy efficiency and renewable energy, creating coherent and cost-effective implementation opportunities in the whole energy sector.

Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report 2020 is published by 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). This is the sixth edition of the report that was previously published under the title, Global Tracking Framework. 

For any media requests, please email Media@SEforALL.org. Follow SEforALL and Damilola Ogunibiyi on Twitter for the latest.