By Pamela Guerrero
Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all is a requisite step to combat climate change and to ensure greater global equity. Every nation relies on an available source of energy, such as electricity, to perform basic societal functions. It is humanity’s use of energy that has created the modern standard of living that we are accustomed to. Yet, there are still communities around the globe lacking access to electricity and other vital technologies, which are available elsewhere. The way humanity produces energy is also at issue with the existential threat of global warming on the horizon. Energy production is not as sustainable as it should be, which places it in direct conflict with many potential climate change solutions. Humanity needs energy to support its current standard of living, but has failed to employ sustainable sources of energy to protect the environment. The United Nations (UN) recognized these fundamental issues when all its member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Within this agenda, Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) was created to resolve these issues through the promotion of global electrification and the facilitation of a shift to renewable energy. The video above further explains the target goals and indicators of SDG 7.
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