Objectives Of A Sustainable Development Goals

Energy consumption levels arise as the world population continues to grow. To be able to sustain resources for future generations

Whilst it may seem a “no-brainer” to cease investment in non-renewable power and transfer our effort, resources and investment into developing renewable energy sources, the reality is that we have become so reliant and dependent upon non-renewable energy – particularly fossil fuels – that we must continue to use, develop, and invest in such energy to maintain the living standards that we enjoy today. In our short to medium-term future, and in spite of our ever-increasing scientific knowledge about the environmental price that we pay in using non-renewable energy, we must continue to invest in it. Let me explain why.

Recently, a report by REN21 (Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century) reported two facts that set the stage for the growth of green energy. First, in 2015, the global economy experienced the largest annual increase of renewable energy; second, developing economies spent more than developed countries on increasing their use of green energy. Another notable fact to mention is that the substantial increase in green energy

Anderson, D. United Nations Development Programme, United Nations. & World Energy Council. (2000). World Energy Assessment: Energy and the challenge of sustainability. New York, NY: United Nations Development Programme

Energy is a fundamental factor to the existence of humans on this planet; without it, modern society would be unsustainable. Consequently, the sourcing and production of energy is a critical global issue that must be addressed. Currently, the most common energy sources are fossil fuels: oil, coal, and natural gas. The consumption of fossil fuels is not sustainable in the long run as the resources are not infinite, and as energy consumption increases, the earth’s natural resources (fossil fuels) are depleted. The belief that conventional energy sources are unsustainable prompted the development and use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric. The sustainability of energy is such a demanding issue that Germany

In 2012, NREL found that together, renewable energy sources have the technical potential to supply 482,247 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This amount is 118 times the amount of electricity the nation currently consumes. However, it is important to note that not all of this technical potential can be tapped due to conflicting land use needs, the higher short-term costs of those resources, constraints on ramping up their use such as limits on transmission capacity, barriers to public acceptance, and other hurdles.” (*Add citation) (*Unfinished paragraph).

The main problems when it comes to energy sustainability can be found in three main components scale, production and storage of the energy. Each poses multiple problems intercut with the cost of each as production can be done and energy can be stored at high cost but neither would be favored over the current system. Scale is harder to define as more then cost stops scaling up systems, some can’t be scaled up under

7.1 Ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services: This target directly addresses the global issue with energy access to the poor, while also emphasizing the need to make global energy production to safer and more advanced. This includes the need to diversify the sources of energy services so that the dependency on specific harmful sources of energy, such as, coal, natural gas, or oil, is reduced.

Converting from a widely used energy source can an expensive endeavor. One must consider the costs of establishing the new infrastructure to support the energy source. Despite these high startup costs, most subsidies are offered for established non-renewable forms of energy. In fact, many countries even have plans to reduce

Renewable energy resources exist over wide geographical areas, in contrast to other energy sources, which are concentrated in a limited number of countries. Rapid deployment of renewable energy andenergy efficiency is resulting in significant energy security, climate change mitigation, and economic benefits.[7] In international public opinion surveys there is strong support for promoting renewable sources such as solar power and wind power.[8]

In order for the sustainability goals to be successful and meaningful, the targets must be measurable. By nature, some of the targets are more measurable than others. It is easy to measure those that are quantitative as the goals are very precise. Target 14.1, to reduce marine pollution of all kinds can be measured by surveying micro-plastic concentrations in seawater and marine life (Global Ocean Commission 2). Similarly, the goal of minimizing acidification can be measured by collecting pH samples (Leadership Council of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network 172) and the conservation of coastal and marine areas can be measured by collecting data on marine protected areas (GOC 5). It is more difficult to measure targets that are more broad and subjective. The success or failures of these targets are measured by monitoring programs, administering policies, law enforcement and assessing the environmental impacts (4). For example, targets 14.7 and 14.9, which look at the economical benefits and subsidies are measured by monitoring data and policies used in various countries. Likewise, target 14.12, to ensure full implementation of international law, is measured by looking at the number of flag states and countries who have ratified laws (6). Some targets feature both precise and subjective indicators. For instance, targets 14.4 and 14.6 which deal with the regulation of dangerous fishing practices can be measured by looking at the reported data of fish tonnage within

In the recent years, World’s energy consumption has been increasing at a rapid rate due to economic development and population growth. The International Energy Outlook report released in July 2013 (IEO2013) projects that there will be 56% rise in the world energy consumption by 2040 (ref). It has been projected that total world energy use rises from 524 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) in 2010 to 630 quadrillion Btu in 2020 and to 820 quadrillion Btu in 2040, which corresponds to an increase of 16% and 36% respectively (Figure 1.1). It has been predicted that much of the growth in energy consumption may occur in countries that are not included in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (ref). At present, there prevails huge variation in the economic performance of various countries world-wide. For OECD countries, the pace of economic growth varies but is relatively slow when compared to emerging

The International Energy Agency (IEA) measures what fraction of the world’s energy comes from renewable sources in Energy

Target 7.3 aims to double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030. This is measurable through various energy efficiency ratios, such as energy consumption per unit of GDP. This metric can also be applied for each sector of the economy, such as the ratio of energy use in the agricultural sector to the corresponding value added of the industry to GDP (International Atomic Energy Agency 22). However, measuring energy consumption relative to GDP may not precisely capture changes in efficiency, as GDP can fluctuate based on exogenous factors, thus skewing the ratio (Sustainable Development Solutions Network 3).

In today’s world of scarce resources energy efficiency and renewable energy become increasingly important. It is also well-known that the climate-change as a result of high CO2-emissions, among others, can only be stopped or at least slowed down by reducing these emissions. The general global trend therefore should move towards an increasing use of renewable energies while gradually stopping dependence on non-renewable energies, such as coal or oil. Despite trade-offs in terms of a possible rise in energy prices and impacts on security of energy supply, most developed countries have recognized the general need of a change. (Röpke, 2013)