Affordable, clean energy is UN Sustainable Development Goal 7, yet is fundamental to achieving many of the other SDGs. Electricity enables people to store food and medicines in fridges, power hospitals, schools and businesses, and connect to the outside world through mobile phones.
More than 780M people globally – including 580M or 53% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa – continue to lack affordable and reliable electricity supply, limiting their economic opportunities and access to essential services.
Goal 7 is one of seven SDGs we can directly contribute to through our projects and operations, and our energy and development teams are constantly involved in projects to bring electricity to communities, often in the remotest areas.
But, because the goals are highly interdependent, progress on one affects some or all of the others – both directly and indirectly. For us, it’s all about making connections, challenging assumptions and turning potential benefits into value-adding outcomes.