Uneven progress on achieving access to sustainable energy for all
Modest improvements in global electrification and access to clean cooking overshadow more significant progress in the global share of renewable energy reports Global Tracking Framework 2017 – Progress Toward Sustainable Energy, launched today in New York. This third edition of the report, a multi-agency effort led by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the World Bank, provides an update of how the world has been moving towards the three SE4All objectives: universal access to electricity and clean cooking, doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency, and doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030
Global electrification reached 85.3% in 2014, a modest improvement since 2012 and a slowdown from preceding years, yet over 1 billion people still do not have electricity. Some countries made rapid progress, including Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia, and Rwanda. Others, such as Afghanistan and Cambodia, are progressing rapidly by making greater use of off-grid solar energy, underscoring how new technologies can drive progress. Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking reached 57.4% globally in 2014, showing barely any increase since 2012. This indicates that efforts are lagging population growth in countries like Afghanistan and Nigeria, where access to clean cooking has been falling by about 1% per year since 2012. Indonesia made the most progress, raising access to clean cooking by more than 8% per year.
The share of renewable energy in total final energy consumption climbed to 18.3%, continuing the slight acceleration of trends evident since 2010. However, progress is nowhere near fast enough to double its share to 36% in 2010. As highlighted in IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2016, the challenge is to increase reliance on renewable energy in the heat and transport sectors, which account for the bulk of global energy consumption. “The Global Tracking Framework demonstrates the urgency to speed up action on achieving Sustainable Energy for All,” said Dr Fatih Birol, IEA Executive Director. “We at the IEA are proud to contribute once again to this key publication, which highlights the necessity of a global transition to clean, modern energy and ensure a prosperous and productive future for everyone.”
