Energy poverty is a critical challenge that affects billions of people worldwide, particularly in developing regions. It refers to the lack of access to modern energy services, such as electricity and clean cooking, which can impede economic development, limit educational opportunities, and exacerbate health risks. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), around 759 million people still lack access to electricity, and 2.6 billion people rely on traditional biomass for cooking, which contributes to deforestation and health problems such as respiratory diseases.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established by the United Nations (UN) in 2015, are an integrated framework designed to address global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation. Energy access is foundational to achieving many of these goals, especially SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, which explicitly targets the eradication of energy poverty by 2030.
This article explores how energy poverty is intertwined with the SDGs and how addressing energy access is a crucial part of alleviating global poverty, improving health outcomes, supporting economic growth, and enhancing overall well-being.
1. Energy Poverty and SDG 1: No Poverty
SDG 1 aims to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. Energy is essential for lifting people out of poverty, as it enables access to economic opportunities, education, healthcare, and basic services. Without modern energy access, the poor are often trapped in cycles of poverty due to their inability to participate in the formal economy, access education, and improve their health.
Key Connections Between Energy and Poverty Alleviation:
- Income-generating Activities: Access to electricity allows small businesses and entrepreneurs to operate efficiently, increasing their productivity and income potential.
- Time-Saving: Energy access—particularly in the form of clean cooking solutions and solar lighting—allows individuals, especially women and children, to spend less time on labor-intensive tasks like gathering firewood, which can be used for more productive activities.
- Improved Education: Electrification improves educational opportunities by providing lighting for studying at night and powering digital learning tools, essential for both students and teachers.
Energy Solutions for SDG 1:
- Solar Home Systems and mini-grids in off-grid areas can offer electricity to rural communities, enabling them to establish small enterprises and participate in the local economy.
- Clean cookstoves and biogas systems can reduce the health risks associated with traditional cooking methods and improve the quality of life for impoverished households.
2. Energy Poverty and SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being
SDG 3 aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Lack of access to energy contributes to poor health outcomes, particularly in communities that rely on biomass fuels for cooking, which produce harmful indoor air pollution. Inadequate electricity also affects healthcare services, limiting the ability of health facilities to function properly.
Key Connections Between Energy and Health:
- Indoor Air Pollution: Traditional biomass cooking is a leading cause of respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, bronchitis, and asthma. Women and children are most at risk due to their close proximity to cooking fires.
- Healthcare Facilities: In many developing countries, health clinics and hospitals struggle to provide adequate care due to unreliable electricity. Without power, clinics cannot store vaccines, run diagnostic equipment, or provide proper lighting for surgeries.
- Water and Sanitation: Access to energy is also vital for ensuring safe water and sanitation. Solar-powered water pumps can provide clean drinking water, reducing the spread of waterborne diseases.
Energy Solutions for SDG 3:
- Clean cooking technologies such as improved cookstoves, liquid petroleum gas (LPG), and electric cookers can reduce indoor air pollution and lower health risks.
- Solar-powered health clinics can provide critical medical services to remote and underserved areas, ensuring that essential health services are available to all.
3. Energy Poverty and SDG 4: Quality Education
SDG 4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Energy poverty often restricts access to education by limiting the ability of schools to operate efficiently, particularly in rural and remote areas. Without reliable electricity, children cannot study at night, and schools cannot use digital tools that enhance learning.
Key Connections Between Energy and Education:
- School Infrastructure: Schools without electricity are often unable to provide lighting for evening classes, essential for both students and teachers. Additionally, energy is necessary for digital education tools such as computers, projectors, and online learning resources.
- Learning Hours: Energy access extends the number of hours during which students can study, improving academic performance and giving them a better chance at completing their education.
Energy Solutions for SDG 4:
- Solar-powered schools can ensure that students and teachers have access to electricity for lighting, computers, and other educational resources.
- Digital learning programs powered by renewable energy can increase access to educational content, particularly in remote areas where traditional schooling may be limited.
4. Energy Poverty and SDG 5: Gender Equality
SDG 5 aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Energy poverty disproportionately affects women and girls, especially in rural areas, where they spend significant amounts of time gathering firewood or other biomass fuels for cooking. Energy access can empower women by freeing up time for education, income-generating activities, and improved health.
Key Connections Between Energy and Gender Equality:
- Time Savings: The time spent collecting fuel can be redirected toward educational opportunities or income-generating activities. Clean cooking solutions also reduce the physical strain associated with cooking over traditional stoves.
- Economic Empowerment: Energy access enables women to engage in small businesses, such as tailoring, food processing, or retail, increasing their economic independence.
- Health and Safety: Reliable energy allows women and girls to feel safer at night with improved lighting and security. Access to solar-powered lighting can also prevent accidents and improve health and well-being.
Energy Solutions for SDG 5:
- Clean cookstoves and solar-powered lighting systems free up women's time, allowing them to pursue education or enter the workforce.
- Solar-powered irrigation systems can increase agricultural productivity, providing women with more economic opportunities and reducing their dependence on traditional, often gender-biased, agricultural systems.
5. Energy Poverty and SDG 13: Climate Action
SDG 13 calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. The energy sector is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, and energy poverty is often tied to unsustainable and inefficient energy use. Addressing energy poverty by promoting clean energy alternatives can play a crucial role in both reducing emissions and improving energy access for vulnerable communities.
Key Connections Between Energy and Climate Action:
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Traditional biomass cooking methods, which are common in energy-poor households, produce black carbon and other pollutants that contribute to climate change. Providing clean cooking technologies can significantly reduce these emissions.
- Renewable Energy: The transition to solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources can reduce the carbon footprint of energy systems while providing clean, affordable energy to communities.
Energy Solutions for SDG 13:
- Solar-powered cooking technologies and biogas systems can replace traditional biomass, reducing the environmental impact and supporting sustainable energy practices.
- Decentralized renewable energy systems such as solar mini-grids provide clean, sustainable energy access, especially in off-grid areas, without relying on fossil fuels.
6. Energy Poverty and SDG 10: Reduced Inequality
SDG 10 focuses on reducing inequalities within and among countries. Energy poverty exacerbates social and economic inequalities, particularly for marginalized groups, including women, children, and rural populations. Ensuring access to affordable and clean energy can reduce inequalities by providing equal opportunities for education, economic participation, and health.
Key Connections Between Energy and Inequality:
- Rural vs. Urban Divide: Rural communities are often left behind in terms of energy access, which deepens the rural-urban divide. Providing energy to these areas can create equal opportunities for rural populations.
- Social Inclusion: Energy access empowers marginalized groups by improving their living conditions, health, education, and economic opportunities, helping to bridge inequality gaps.
Energy Solutions for SDG 10:
- Solar home systems and off-grid energy solutions can provide affordable and sustainable energy access to remote communities, reducing the rural-urban energy divide.
- Inclusive energy policies can ensure that energy access is equitable and reaches marginalized and vulnerable groups.
Conclusion: Addressing Energy Poverty as a Pathway to Achieve SDGs
Energy access is not just about providing electricity; it is about enabling human development and empowering communities. By addressing energy poverty, we are directly contributing to the achievement of several SDGs, from ending poverty and improving health to promoting gender equality and climate action. Achieving SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy is both an end goal and a means to achieving the broader SDG framework.
Governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society must continue to collaborate and invest in sustainable energy solutions that tackle energy poverty and drive progress across the SDGs. Through inclusive, clean, and affordable energy systems, we can create a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of where they live or their socioeconomic status. The path to eradicating energy poverty is not only essential
for SDG 7, but also for the success of the entire 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
