Affordable and Clean Energy: A Foundation for Sustainable Development
Access to affordable, reliable and clean energy is essential to improving lives and building a more sustainable future. It powers homes, schools, hospitals, businesses and public services. Yet millions of people still lack access to electricity, while many more rely on polluting fuels for cooking and heating. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
Why SDG 7 matters
Energy access is closely linked to health, education, economic opportunity and equality. Reliable electricity allows health centres to refrigerate medicines, operate equipment and provide care after dark. In schools, lighting and digital technology can support learning. For households, cleaner cooking options can reduce exposure to harmful smoke, which disproportionately affects women and children in communities where traditional fuels are widely used.
Energy is also central to tackling climate change. Burning coal, oil and gas releases greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Shifting towards renewable sources, improving energy efficiency and reducing waste can help countries meet development needs while limiting environmental harm.
What affordable and clean energy means
Affordable energy is not simply the cheapest energy available. It should be dependable and accessible without forcing households or businesses to sacrifice other essential needs. Clean energy produces little or no pollution during use, or has a much lower environmental impact than conventional fossil fuels. Solar, wind, hydropower and geothermal energy are important renewable sources, while efficiency measures can reduce the amount of energy needed in the first place.
Progress involves more than building power stations. It also means extending electricity grids, supporting off-grid systems in remote areas, improving access to clean cooking and making energy services resilient to extreme weather and other disruptions.
Challenges to progress
Many communities face barriers such as poverty, limited infrastructure and high upfront costs. Remote settlements can be expensive to connect to national electricity grids, while unreliable supply can make it difficult for businesses and public services to operate. In some places, households may have access to electricity but still be unable to afford enough of it to meet their needs.
The transition to cleaner energy also needs careful planning. Renewable generation can vary with weather and time of day, so energy systems may require storage, upgraded grids and a mix of complementary sources. New infrastructure must be developed responsibly, with attention to land use, local communities, biodiversity and the materials required for construction.
How countries and communities can make progress
- Expand renewable energy: Invest in suitable sources such as solar and wind, alongside reliable storage and modern electricity networks.
- Improve energy efficiency: Use better-insulated buildings, efficient appliances and industrial processes to reduce consumption and costs.
- Support clean cooking: Make cleaner fuels and technologies accessible, affordable and appropriate to local conditions.
- Invest in underserved areas: Use grid extensions, mini-grids and stand-alone renewable systems to reach communities that are otherwise difficult to connect.
- Protect affordability: Design tariffs, subsidies and financing so that low-income households can access essential energy without undermining long-term investment.
- Build skills and local capacity: Train workers to install, maintain and repair energy systems, creating employment as well as improving reliability.
Governments have a key role in setting clear policies, planning infrastructure and attracting responsible investment. Businesses can improve efficiency, adopt cleaner power and develop technologies suited to local needs. Communities should be involved in decisions that affect them, helping ensure that projects are fair, useful and designed to last.
Energy access and a fair transition
Moving to cleaner energy should not leave workers or communities behind. A fair transition includes opportunities for retraining, decent work and economic diversification in places that have depended on fossil-fuel industries. It also recognises that countries have different resources, needs and capacities. International co-operation, finance and technology-sharing can help ensure that the transition is achievable for lower-income countries as well as wealthier ones.
Looking ahead
Affordable and clean energy is both a development goal in its own right and a means of advancing many others. It can support better health and education, strengthen livelihoods, reduce pollution and help address climate change. Achieving SDG 7 requires sustained investment and practical solutions that reflect local circumstances. By making energy systems cleaner, more reliable and accessible to all, societies can lay a stronger foundation for inclusive and sustainable development.
Understanding Affordable and Clean Energy: Key Questions on Sustainable Development Goal 7
- What is Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7)?
- Why is affordable and clean energy important for sustainable development?
- How many people still lack access to electricity worldwide?
- What counts as clean energy?
- How can renewable energy make energy more affordable?
- What are the main barriers to achieving SDG 7?
- How does energy efficiency support affordable and clean energy?
- What can governments and communities do to improve access to clean energy?
- How does SDG 7 help tackle climate change and reduce inequality?
What is Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7)?
Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) is one of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It aims to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy. This includes expanding access to electricity and clean cooking, increasing the use of renewable energy, and improving energy efficiency. Progress towards SDG 7 supports better health, education and livelihoods, while helping to reduce pollution and tackle climate change.
Why is affordable and clean energy important for sustainable development?
Affordable and clean energy is vital for sustainable development because it gives people and communities the reliable power needed for homes, schools, hospitals and businesses, while reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Access to modern energy can improve health, support education and create economic opportunities, particularly in underserved communities. Investing in renewables and energy efficiency also helps countries meet growing energy needs while protecting the environment and building a fairer, more resilient future.
How many people still lack access to electricity worldwide?
According to the latest global estimates, around 666 million people lacked access to electricity in 2023, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa. Expanding affordable, reliable and clean energy is vital to closing this gap and supporting health, education and economic opportunities.
What counts as clean energy?
Clean energy generally comes from sources that produce little or no greenhouse-gas emissions and air pollution during operation. Renewable sources such as solar, wind, hydropower and geothermal energy are commonly included. Energy efficiency also helps by reducing the amount of energy needed. What counts as clean can depend on how a source is produced and its wider environmental effects, so factors such as land use, materials, emissions across its lifecycle and impacts on local communities should also be considered.
How can renewable energy make energy more affordable?
Renewable energy can make energy more affordable by reducing reliance on imported fuels, whose prices can fluctuate sharply, and by using free natural resources such as sunlight and wind. Once renewable systems are installed, their operating costs are often relatively low, which can help stabilise electricity prices over time. Community energy projects, rooftop solar and off-grid systems can also give households and local businesses more direct access to power, particularly in remote areas. However, affordability depends on careful planning and investment in infrastructure, storage and electricity networks to ensure that clean energy is reliable and its benefits are shared widely.
What are the main barriers to achieving SDG 7?
The main barriers to achieving SDG 7 include the high upfront cost of renewable energy infrastructure, limited investment and unreliable electricity networks, particularly in remote and low-income communities. Many households cannot afford modern energy services or cleaner cooking options, while dependence on fossil fuels, gaps in government policy and shortages of skilled workers can slow the transition. Addressing these challenges requires sustained funding, stronger energy infrastructure, supportive policies and solutions tailored to local needs.
How does energy efficiency support affordable and clean energy?
Energy efficiency supports affordable and clean energy by reducing the amount of electricity or fuel needed to provide the same service, such as heating a home, lighting a school or powering machinery. This can lower energy bills for households and businesses, ease pressure on energy networks and reduce the need to build additional power stations. When energy comes from fossil fuels, using less also cuts greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution; alongside renewable energy, efficiency helps create a cleaner, more reliable and affordable energy system.
What can governments and communities do to improve access to clean energy?
Governments can improve access to clean energy by investing in renewable power, modernising electricity grids and supporting off-grid solutions such as community mini-grids and solar systems in remote areas. Well-designed grants, affordable financing and fair energy tariffs can help households and small businesses meet the upfront costs, while clear policies can encourage responsible investment. Communities can identify local energy needs, take part in planning decisions and support locally managed projects, including clean cooking initiatives. Training local people to install and maintain equipment can also create jobs and help ensure that energy services remain reliable and affordable.
How does SDG 7 help tackle climate change and reduce inequality?
SDG 7 helps tackle climate change by encouraging a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy, alongside improvements in energy efficiency that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also aims to make reliable, modern energy accessible and affordable for everyone, including people in low-income and remote communities. Wider access to electricity and clean cooking can improve health, education and opportunities for work, while carefully designed policies can help ensure the benefits of the clean-energy transition are shared fairly and no community is left behind.