Despite steady progress in renewable energy deployment, 655 million people worldwide still lacked access to electricity in 2024, while nearly 2 billion people continued to rely on polluting fuels and technologies for cooking, according to the latest Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report.
The report warns that the world is not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 on universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy by 2030.
Electrification efforts, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, must triple to meet the target, as the region accounts for more than 560 million people without electricity.
Renewable energy continued to expand, supplying over 30% of global electricity, while global renewable generation capacity reached a record high. However, progress in energy efficiency and clean energy financing remains insufficient.
International public finance for clean energy in developing countries increased only marginally to US$24.6 billion in 2024, with funding for the least developed countries declining.
