In rural Kenya, families spend 30% of their income purchasing kerosene—a toxic fuel that can burn homes and lungs. Too often, villagers exchange their lives for the light because darkness is not an option.

Lighting is just one challenge that emerges when communities lack access to electricity. Then there’s heating and cooling, cooking and food storage, internet and technology—and that’s just in the home. Hospitals, schools, farms, businesses, and other community infrastructure rely on energy.

Sustainable Development Goal 7 aims to improve access to affordable and clean energy so that people and planet can thrive together.

An Overview of Goal 7

In 2000, the United Nations created eight commitments to uplift people from poverty. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) tackled global concerns such as improving primary education, combating disease, and ending hunger. Absent from the list was energy access, yet little could be more important for achieving the goals outlined. After all, how could students study without light? How could vaccines stay cold without refrigerators? How could communities grow food without water pumping and irrigation?

In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals replaced the MDGs, building upon the previous eight, this time with the important enabler of energy access. Sustainable Development Goal 7 strives to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, by 2030.”

• Affordable energy means people can power their homes, businesses, and livelihoods without financial burdens.
• Reliable energy consistently meets the needs of communities without interruptions.
• Sustainable energy comes from renewable sources, like solar, which reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
• Modern energy moves people beyond traditional fuels like kerosene and wood.

Here’s where we stand on key targets of Goal 7:

• 660 million people will be energy-poor in 2030 if trends continue. Approximately 1 billion people lack electricity access today.
• Renewables are now responsible for 32.1% of global electricity generation.
• In 2024, the world’s energy efficiency improved by only 1% compared to 2023. This number will rise as energy-efficient appliances, transportation, and lighting become more accessible.
• Only 1.15% of global renewable energy investment flowed to least developed countries in the years 2015-2022.
• 2.1 billion people still rely on polluting and hazardous fuels, such as charcoal and kerosene, for cooking.

Affordable and Clean Energy Empowers Every Goal

The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) worked with the Indigenous community of Katansama in Colombia to build micro-grids that power community resources while honoring their spiritual connections with the land. In the years since, this project has improved access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunity.

Energy access projects like this advance SDG 7 as well as the other Sustainable Development Goals.

SDG 1 | No poverty. Breaking the cycle of poverty is nearly impossible without energy. Electricity allows people to access education, gain skills, and open businesses.

SDG 2 | Zero hunger. Electricity allows farmers to irrigate crops, and allows households to refrigerate produce and cook meals. Clean energy also reduces the reliance on polluting cookstoves.

SDG 3 | Good health and well-being. Lighting saves lives during childbirth and surgeries. Energy powers medical equipment such as X-rays and ventilators, as well as vaccine refrigeration technology.

SDG 4 | Quality education. Students are empowered to succeed when they gain access to computers, projectors, and internet. Solar-electrifying schools allows rural students to learn with the same resources as their urban peers.

SDG 5 | Gender equality. Every day, women and girls invest hours fetching water and firewood for their families. Clean energy gives that time back and opens up new opportunities, such as school and paid work.

SDG 6 | Clean water and sanitation. Worldwide, 2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water. And 2.3 billion people are still waiting to wash their hands with soap and running water. Innovations like solar-powered water pumps make water accessible in remote and arid places.

There’s more. For Goal 8, the sustainable energy transition brings three times more jobs compared to traditional energy sources. For Goal 9, solar energy supports the development of rural infrastructure and facilitates connectivity. For Goal 10, electrification reduces inequalities by bringing more resources to marginalized communities. That’s just the beginning.

Looking Forward: Affordable and Clean Energy

The sun shines above every community, making energy accessible in the remotest areas. When communities can capture it through micro-grids and other solar applications, they can finally step into their power.

As we approach 2030, we’ll need to step up our efforts to bring energy to the places that need it most. Only in doing so can we build a world that works for all.