Energy Sustainability and its Role in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

This essay critically analyses the energy role in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and provides suggestions for possible solutions to energy-related issues. It identifies major issues related to energy in achieving SDGs and discusses SDGs majorly associated with energy. The essay also highlights the importance of energy sustainability in ensuring a sustainable future of the world.

Running Head: ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY
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Energy Sustainability
Sustainable Development
(Student details :)
3/15/2019

Energy Sustainability 1
Contents
Sustainable Development...........................................................................................................2
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Role of Energy in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)................................................3
Sustainable Development Concept........................................................................................3
Energy Role within SDGs......................................................................................................3
Suggestions to provide possible solutions to the energy related issues.................................6
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................8

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Sustainable Development
Introduction
This essay is dedicated to critically analyse the energy role in the Sustainable Development
Goals. Here, sustainable development goals are the set of aims and objectives defined by the
United Nations to ensure sustainable global future by 2030 (United Nations, 2018). United
Nations (referred as UN) has set their targets under SDGs in order to transform our world,
through framing the 2030 Agenda (Dresner, 2008). UN evolved vision as well as ambition for
achieving a balance amid the 3 dimensions of sustainable development include
environmental, social as well as economic. In this way, SDGs is an exclusive way to integrate
all 3 dimensions into a global and visionary framework for world level cooperation and
action (United Nations Development Programme, 2018). Thus, with the help of this essay
writer will identify the major issues which might arise during the process of achieving SDGs
which are strongly related to energy. In addition, this paper will discuss SDGs those are
majorly associated to energy; SDG-4, 7 and 12 (United Nations, 2018).
Source: (United Nations, 2018)

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Role of Energy in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
In order to identify as well as discuss the energy role in achieving all 17 SDGs, here SDG 4,
7 and 12 are included being the energy relevant SDGs. In addition, sustainable development
concept needs to be understood first.
Sustainable Development Concept
Sustainable development is an organizing principle to meet development goals of human
society while simultaneously sustaining the capability of natural systems to offer the natural
resources as well as ecosystem services over which the global economy and global society
depend (Dresner, 2008). This concept is a way to develop spirit of sustainability and adopting
sustainable practices among the global community in a way that present demands of the
society are not compromised (Blewitt, 2008).
Source: (Barrow, 2008)
Energy Role within SDGs
In general, SDGs are the set of 17 global goals developed from an intensive process and
hence energy plays a key role in achieving all of them. It means that, out of all 17 SDGs
while each and every goal is to be accomplished effectively then energy availability will be
acting as the base of the action (Arto et al., 2016).
For an instance, goal 1 is about eradicating poverty in all of its forms from everywhere. In
this context, to achieve no poverty condition, global economies need to be strengthened
which can only be implemented while global education goal is achieved first. Hence, it is
clear that all 17 SDGs are inter-related with each other while energy availability at
everywhere is the base of achieving process and actions. SDG-2 talks about ending hunger,
achieving food security while improving nutrition of all. It also containing act of promoting a

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sustainable agriculture. Hence, in order to implement all of the above newly invented
technologies usage is required which needs energy to be available at each area of the nation.
In this way, to ensure global food security and promote a sustainable agriculture any country
needs a safe and clean access to enough energy thus energy is playing a key role for
achieving the Goal-2 also.
Moreover, SDG-3 talks about ensuring healthy human lives while promoting well-being for
all at every age. We all know that people can only live with proper sanitation and hygiene
when energy availability is ensured at everywhere (Dresner, 2008). Moreover, building
healthy communities will require an efficient medical system at everywhere which again
requires safe and adequate energy access. In addition, SDG-4 talks about equitable quality
education while promoting life-long learning opportunities for the entire global community.
In this context, education is strongly dependent upon energy availability as lack of energy for
cooking, daily-living and other purposes keeps children, women and men engaged into
finding resources for energy. Hence, education and learning opportunities get automatically
un-balanced among men and women as women are engaged into finding energy resources for
daily-living. Likewise, goal-5 is also related to gender equality while empowering women
and girls therefore attaining energy sustainability for future is essential for achieving both of
the goals 4 and 5. Besides, ensuring availability as well as sustainable management of water,
sanitation and hygiene for all requires to be accomplished under SDG-6. Water treatment,
proper sanitation and good hygiene, all of these processes need energy availability first hence
first energy everywhere is to be ensured (Corbett & Corbett, 2009).
Source: (Dresner, 2008)

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On the other hand, SDG-7 is majorly emphasizing upon ensuring energy sustainability for all.
As SDG-7 is all about ensuring a safe access to reliable, affordable, sustainable and modern
energy for the entire community hence this SDG covers the major role of energy while
achieving sustainability for all. In this context, more national priorities and policies ambitions
require to be strengthened for put the globe on the path of meeting the energy targets by
2030. Energy is so important that we all know life without energy access cannot be
imaginable in this modern era. The reason behind is, each and every task of our daily-life is
totally dependent upon safe and adequate energy access (Bass & Dalal-Clayton, 2012). Here,
sustainable energy means renewable energy resources are getting utilized for assuring a
sustainable future of the world. In this context, there are two types of energy fuels; fossil or
conventional fuels and non-conventional or renewable energy resources (Birol, 2018). Out of
two, fossil fuels are on the verge of their end as human used to harness them since many
decades ago. Thus, renewable resources of energy which are abundantly available require to
be used for the energy generation and consumption for the daily-use. Therefore, this SDG of
ensuring energy sustainability for all is getting addressed through adopting renewable energy
resources as the fuels for the daily-life activities (Cui & Fang, 2011).
Furthermore, SDG-12 talks about ensuring sustainable consumption as well as production
forms among global public (United Nations Development Programme, 2018). It means that,
energy availability is essential for all hence it should be balanced and well-distributed among
all. If some people are consuming more than required energy by putting extra electrical
devices into their houses just to enhance their reputation in the society then energy
distribution cannot be balanced any day (Blewitt, 2008). Thus, to accomplish sustainable
production as well as consumption patterns all over the world then world nations need to
have a balance amid energy generation and production. To do so, awareness programs,
seminars, education and other measures to spread this message of save energy need to be
adopted (Dash, 2013). SDGs are functioning into this direction through setting a goal of
achieving efficient utilisation and sustainable management of natural energy resources by
2030 (United Nations, 2018). Besides, goal of substantially reducing waste production by
using reduction, prevention, reuse and recycling processes by 2030 also narrates energy role
in achieving SDGs. In this context, through encouraging global companies for adopting
sustainable practices SDG-12 can be achieved. While global companies are integrating
sustainability info into their reporting cycles, SDG-12 is attempting to be accomplished by

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2030. In addition, rationalizing inefficient fossil fuels is further adding to the efforts for
achieving SDGs for all by 2030 (United Nations Development Programme, 2018).
Source: (Blewitt, 2008)
Suggestions to provide possible solutions to the energy related issues
There are many suggestions to offer likely solutions to the popular energy related issues,
which are as follows:
 As per the discussion in previous parts of this essay, fossil fuels are exhaustible and
hence renewable energy resources are being utilised. In this way, there are so many
ways include geothermal, tidal, hydro, biomass and wind , to generate enough clean
energy hence an extended research must be taken place over such energy resources
(Brunner & Rechberger, 2015).
 Energy should make affordable for all by the government entities of the global
nations, as there are countless people which are still lagging in accessing safe and
enough energy for their daily use (Bibri & Krogstie, 2017).
 Energy cannot be stored and destroyed; hence saving energy concept does not exist.
Therefore, this message needs to be reached to all of the people; literate or ill-literate

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in a way that global public can save energy through optimizing their energy
consumption (Barrow, 2008).
 There are so many power plants which are running over renewable energy sources;
however awareness about the reliability and financial effectiveness of renewable
energy is lagging. Thus, people should know about the existing sustainable practices
like using solar panels at home for the daily energy usage (Arto et al., 2016).
Conclusion
In conclusion, an understanding as well as critical awareness of the concepts of sustainability,
sustainable development and energy role within all of the above has been drawn successfully.
With the help of all 17 SDGs, the essay is utilised the concept of sustainable development to
identify the key role of energy while accomplishing all of the SDGs for all. For an instance,
analysis over SDGs like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 12 has been demonstrated the energy
sustainability’s importance while ensuring a sustainable future of the world. Apart from such
analysis and evaluation, essay has provided some key suggestions to provide solutions over
energy related issues for its readers. Finally, with the help of this essay writer identified the
energy role within the SDGs implementation process by 2030.

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References
Arto, I. et al., 2016. The energy requirements of a developed world. Energy for sustainble
development, 33, pp.1-13.
Barrow, C.J., 2008. Environmental Management for Sustainable Development. 2nd ed. USA:
Routledge.
Bass, S. & Dalal-Clayton, B., 2012. Sustainable development strategies: a resource book.
London: Routledge.
Bibri, S.E. & Krogstie, J., 2017. Smart sustainable cities of the future: An extensive
interdisciplinary literature review. Sustainable Cities and Society, 31, pp.183-212.
Birol, F., 2018. Energy is at the heart of the sustainable development agenda to 2030.
[Online] Available at: https://www.iea.org/newsroom/news/2018/march/energy-is-at-the-
heart-of-the-sustainable-development-agenda-to-2030.html [Accessed 26 October 2018].
Blewitt, J., 2008. Understanding Sustainable Development. UK: Earthscan.
Brunner, P.H. & Rechberger, H., 2015. Waste to energy–key element for sustainable waste
management. Waste Management, 37, pp.3-12.
Corbett, M. & Corbett, J., 2009. Designing sustainable communities: Learning from village
homes. UK: Island Press.
Cui, Q. & Fang, D., 2011. Special Issue on Engineering Management for Sustainable
Development. Journal of management in engineering, 28(1), pp.1-1.
Dash, M.C., 2013. Concepts of Environmental Management for Sustainable Development. 1st
ed. U.K.: Module Handbook.
Dresner, S., 2008. The Principles of Sustainability. UK: Earthscan.
United Nations Development Programme, 2018. Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy.
[Online] Available at: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-
goals/goal-7-affordable-and-clean-energy.html [Accessed 26 October 2018].

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United Nations, 2018. Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and
sanitation for all. [Online] Available at:
http://gh.one.un.org/content/unct/ghana/en/home/global-agenda-in-ghana/sustainable-
development-goals/SDG-6-clean-water-and-sanitation.html [Accessed 10 January 2019].
United Nations, 2018. SDG 7: Affordable And Clean Energy. [Online] Available at:
http://in.one.un.org/page/sustainable-development-goals/sdg-7/ [Accessed 26 October 2018].