Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
Goal 7: Ensure access for affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
The world would come to a halt without electricity, however 1.1 billion people still live without it and almost half the world’s population rely on highly polluting sources of energy, including wood, coal, charcoal or animal waste.
Access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy is crucial to achieving many of the Sustainable Development Goals – from poverty eradication via advancements in health, education, water supply and industrialisation to mitigating climate change.
The UN states that sustainable energy “transforms lives, economies and the planet”. As has been widely reported, carbon emissions from burning coal to produce electricity is one of the leading causes of human-made climate change.
By 2030, UN member states have committed to dramatically increasing the percentage of energy that is sustainable, increasing international cooperation on clean energy research and technology, promoting investment in clean and sustainable energy and improving infrastructure, especially in developing countries.
Australia's Progress towards Goal 7
The Transforming Australia: SDG Progress Report provides key information about how Australia is progressing towards achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It shows that Australia’s Greenhouse Gas emissions have declined only marginally since 2000 and are not consistent with keeping global warming below 2 degrees. Similarly, the renewables share of Australia’s electricity generation has risen sharply since 2012 but it remains a small share of our total energy consumption. Visit the Transforming Australia website to learn more about Australia’s progress towards Goal 7.
Do you want to know how to achieve the SDGs?
MSDI has partnered with McMaster University to create the world's most comprehensive repository of research evidence. Click here for the latest evidence and research from around the world aligned with Goal 7.
How is Monash helping to create affordable and clean energy?
Monash Energy Institute
The Monash Energy Institute is working to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable energy future by fostering and facilitating impactful interdisciplinary research, in collaboration with its trusted partners.
Our Net Zero strategy
Our Net Zero strategy strategy encompasses five key pillars: energy efficiency measures, campus electrification, addressing our residual emissions through offsetting, deployment of on-site and off-site renewable energy, and a sustainable Microgrid, all with the aim of achieving net zero emissions for Monash's built environment by 2030.
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