Paris, 26 June (H.S.): Despite energy being at the top of the global development agenda, an estimated 655 million people worldwide still lack access to electricity, while nearly two billion people continue to rely on polluting fuels and technologies for cooking, posing serious health risks. These findings have been highlighted in a United Nations report.

According to a Gulf News report, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the burden is heaviest in Sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 560 million people remain without electricity and around 970 million lack access to clean cooking fuels.

The latest edition of the Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report, based on studies conducted in 2023 and 2024, presents a concerning picture. It notes that while most regions are moving closer to achieving universal access to electricity, progress in Sub-Saharan Africa remains significantly slower. To meet the goal of universal electricity access by 2030, the pace of progress in the region will need to triple.

According to the UN report, despite these challenges, encouraging progress has been made in several areas of sustainable energy. Renewable energy now accounts for more than 30 per cent of global electricity consumption. In addition, global renewable energy generation capacity reached a record level of 544 watts per person.

International public financial flows supporting clean energy in developing countries also recorded a modest increase, reaching USD 24.6 billion.

However, the report warns that unless immediate and large-scale action is taken, the world will fall short of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), which aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy by 2030.

The report further states that the global energy crisis continues to persist. Funding levels in the world's poorest countries remain either insufficient to meet SDG 7 targets or have continued to decline. International financial assistance for clean energy in the least developed countries dropped significantly, falling to USD 3.7 billion in 2024, an 11 per cent decline compared to 2023.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar