• One in five people still lacks access to modern electricity.
• 3 billion people rely on wood, coal, charcoal or animal waste for cooking and heating.
• Energy is the dominant contributor to climate change, accounting for around 60 per cent of total global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Reducing the carbon intensity of energy is a key objective in long-term climate goals.

Our everyday lives depend on reliable and affordable energy services to function smoothly and to develop equitably. A well-established energy system supports all sectors: from businesses, medicine and education to agriculture, infrastructure, communications and high-technology. Conversely, lack of access to energy supplies and transformation systems is a constraint to human and economic development.

For many decades, fossil fuels such as coal, oil or gas have been major sources of electricity production, but burning carbon fuels produces large amounts of greenhouse gases which cause climate change and have harmful impacts on people's well-being and the environment. This affects everyone, not just a few. Moreover, global electricity use is rising rapidly. In a nutshell, without a stable electricity supply, countries will not be able to power their economies.

Over 1.2 billion people one in five people of the world's population do not have access to electricity. The majority are concentrated in about a dozen countries in Africa and Asia. Without electricity, women and girls have to spend hours fetching water, clinics cannot store vaccines for children, many schoolchildren cannot do homework at night, and people cannot run competitive businesses. Another 2.8 billion people rely on wood, charcoal, dung and coal for cooking and heating, which results in over four million premature deaths a year due to indoor air pollution.

The world needs to triple its investment in sustainable energy infrastructure per year, from around $400 billion now to $1.25 trillion by 2030. Regions with the greatest energy deficits-Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia -need our help to improve energy access. That includes pushing harder to find clean, efficient, and affordable alternatives to health-damaging cook stoves.

Countries can accelerate the transition to an affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy system by investing in renewable energy resources, prioritizing energy efficient practices, and adopting clean energy technologies and infrastructure. Businesses can maintain and protect ecosystems to be able to use and further develop hydropower sources of electricity and bioenergy, and commit to sourcing 100% of operational electricity needs from renewable sources. Employers can reduce the internal demand for transport by prioritizing telecommunications and incentivize less energy intensive modes such as train travel over auto and air travel. Investors can invest more in sustainable energy services, bringing new technologies to the market quickly from a diverse supplier base. You can save electricity by plugging appliances into a power strip and turning them off completely when not in use, including your computer. You can also bike, walk or take public transport to reduce carbon emissions.

The Sustainable Development Goals aim to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. As such, the 17 SDGs and its associated 169 targets do not stand alone, but are are interconnected. The key to success on one will involve tackling issues more commonly associated with another. If you are interested in supporting a cause addressing to the goal {sdg.name}, you might also be interested in the related goals No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health And Well-Being, Quality Education, Clean Water And Sanitation, Reduced Inequalities, Responsible Consumption And Production, Life Below Water and Life On Land.