The Role of Energy in Sustainable Development Goals: An Analysis

This report examines the critical role of energy in achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular focus on SDG 7. It highlights energy's importance in job creation, security, climate change mitigation, and food production, emphasizing the need for renewable energy sources. The paper explores the interconnectedness of SDG 7 with other SDGs, such as those related to infrastructure, industrialization, climate action, and sustainable use of oceans and terrestrial ecosystems. It also addresses challenges like population growth, economic disparities, and trade-offs, while proposing solutions such as population control, controlled immigration, and economic growth strategies. The report concludes that while challenges exist, the global community can overcome them by focusing on key areas and integrating various SDGs to achieve sustainable energy development.

Driscoll,1
Global economic development
Student name
Course
Professor
Date

Driscoll,2
ABSTRACT
Energy is essential in jobs, security, climate change,and food production hence taking it a
challenge to the world and an opportunity for the world. [1]This leads to the formation of SDG
(Sustainable development goals) among other SDGs. The SDGs transforming world agenda was
adopted in 2003 in UN to end poverty, fight inequality and justice, and the climatic problems by
tackling climatic changes. The movement goals were to create a sustainable economy all over the
world.[2] The movement also had a goal of creating peace globally; peace is one of the key
factors that help in the eradication of poverty, by creating an integrated world society where
trade is carried out throughout the global in peace.
INTRODUCTION
In this paper, we are analyzing the role of energy in sustainable development goals; this is
because energy is one of the critical factors that lead to development. The global is focusing on
renewable energy and improvement of energy that is able to sustain the world and improve the
economy of the world. Although energy is one of the top factors that leads to an increase in
economic development their other factors that support the development and backup energy
sustainability in SDGs.[3] This SDG includes SDG 6 that ensures management and sustainability
of water and sanitation, SDG 9 that promotes sustainable infrastructure, the inclusive and
sustainable industrialization and foster innovation, SDG the 13 take actions to cope climatic
changes and its impact, SDG 14Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine
resources for sustainable development,SDG 15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of
terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse

Driscoll,3
land degradation and halt biodiversity loss,SDG 17 Strengthen the means of implementation and
revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development, and lastly SDG 16 Promote
peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and
build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. [4]All these SDGs contributes
to the development of the global economy and help to sustain energy development come 2030,
which was one of the UN (United Nations agenda). The paper is tackling the issues that arise in
achieving sustainable energy development goals and also other SDGs.[5]
ROLE OF SDG 7
Sustainable energy development is one of the goals that have to be obtained come 2030,
this is viewed as the key in development because any action requires energy.[6] By giving this
goal a heavy factor to sustain the global economy, it diminishes another role that facilitates the
growth of the economy, though energy is most important it must interlink with other goals in
order to achieve the stated goals. Energy comprises of creation of jobs opportunities in
renewable industries and other industries that use energy in the production, security is also
related to energy in the case of a country that mines oil, the national security is threatened
because the country need to protect oil and avoid political wrangles that arise in most of the
country that mine oil, climate change is related to energy because the world is targeting to come
up with methods of renewing energy to save energy and avoid destruction of climate due to high
consumption and production of energy from the fossil fuels, and lastly energy links with food
production because energy is used directly and indirectly in agriculture,crops draw their energy
from the fossils for them to grow, fertilizers, pesticides, and machinery production draw indirect
energy.[7] Hence energy act as the backbone in the production of food in the agriculture sector.
Although the energy forms the backbone of a sustainable economy that the world is targeting in

Driscoll,4
2030 it must be supported by other SDGs. An example is SDG 9 that leads to the sustainability
of infrastructure, industrialization and foster innovation. Through industrialization energy is
exploited through industry means and innovation of new technology to come up with new
methods of renewing energy, this shows that without the support of the SDG 9 energy
exploitation and conservation could be difficult. [8]Enabling sustainable production patterns and
consumption leads to saving of energy, the goal focuses in the utilization of the available
material leading to sustainable production to and also consumption, this goal should be enhanced
despite energy being the core factor because it helps in consumption of energy in a sustainable
manner and also its production. Also SDGs 13 that takes actions to combat climatic change and
its impact on the world also build the energy sustainable in the world economy, this is because
climate is changing hence without measures to cope with climate change it may lead to less
sustainable energy, hence climate should be taken care of because it’s a negative impact on the
world will ‘cripple’ the goal of sustainable economic development come 2030.[7] SDGs 14 also
forms ‘roots’ for sustainable energy because the SDG aim to preserve sustainable water bodies
and its resources for sustainable development. Most of the energy used in the industries is drawn
from the water[9]. By turning off turbines using water leads to the production of energy in form
of electricity, this means that if we lay a heavy hand towards only energy sustainability, goals of
achieving a sustainable global economy won't be possible. By Promoting peaceful and inclusive
societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective,
accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels facilitates sustainable economy, for global to
be able to achieve sustainable energy goal, peace among nations in the world gives individual a
chance to share ideas and come up with means of preserving and maintaining sustainable energy.
[10] Institution forms basis in building a sustainable global economy, this helps the nation in

Driscoll,5
gaining the knowledge of conserving the environment and impact of renewing energy and
maintaining sustainable consumption of energy. All these SDGs are relevant in order to achieve
a sustainable energy development goal.[11]
CHALLENGES ARISING FROM SDGs
In the developing world, most tend to forget that in the real world their issues that arise to
hinder the SDGs. Despite the positive thoughts and ideas that cross our minds on achieving a
sustainable global economy, there are issues that arise which hinders the targeted goals.[3] The
major issues that arise from the SDGs are increased in population, an example in Africa, in 2030
its predicted that the population in Africa will double, this means that there will be fewer
resources and high consumption. It is hard to control a huge population because resources are
scarce and limited.[2]The the question that arises from this issue is how society will be able to
control such a growing population and be able to sustain economic development goals. Secondly,
if the global is not able to sustain the growing population, it will lead to immigration, either
temporary or permanent immigration leads to an increase in population.[2] The problem that is
facing the developed country such as the United States of America is absorbing a lot of
immigrants other migrate illegally hence unable to hold the growing population with its limited
resources; this also leads to rising in insecurity hence triggering violent and promoting a
community that is not peaceful. [3]Thirdly there is unequal and slower economic growth,
countries in the world have different economic growth, this creates an issue that’s it’s hard to
solve, this is because every country develops at a higher economic rate than other or their
countries which are already developed hence it’s hard to maintain equal economic growth that
can sustain equal economic development. [2]The rate at which the economy grows differ due to
infrastructure, amenities, technology, resources,and political stability, this makes nation among

Driscoll,6
the world have different economic, some have a growing economy others a slow-growing
economy, this makes partnership among the country to be less productive and has negative
impact towards global economic development which is targeted in 2030.[1]The vulnerable
middle class also pulls down the SDGs goals. The middle-class fears to drop to a low-class level
that they had struggled to come from, they value maintaining the class rather than trying to raise
their class which could lead to a risk of becoming poor.It's hard to deal with a search community
which is only concerned with maintaining its social class rather joining the global in sustainable
development of the economy through supporting energy consumption and renewing of energy.
[4]Lastly there is an issue of trade-off, this is where one loses something important in order to
gain something in return, this will be difficult to convince a country to lose some of its valuable
things in order to gain economic growth for example when a country has to cut its forest for
agriculture gain or to turn its cash crop into energy production. This will be difficult even if the
world is targeting to achieve goals that will lead to sustainable of global economic development
by 2030.[12] It will be like exploiting the country for the gain of others. All these issues above
show that it’s difficult to achieve the goals because it seems the vision to be attained in 2030
might benefit some nation and disadvantaging other countries.[8] The SDGs discussed above
will not be able to be achieved due to the issue discussed above.[3] The issue discussed above
need a solution, by solving this issue it will be easy for the movement formed by UN to be
achieved
For SDGs to be attained the UN must develop and promote decentralized, small-but-
scalable, localized solutions. [13] The major solution is to try a control population by coming
with family planning methods and creating awareness of the importance of controlling
population especially in the third world country, secondly immigration should be controlled by

Driscoll,7
creating employment and conducive environment for the citizens to curb illegal immigration
which also leads to an increase in population, the world should come up with one currency and
methods of increasing the economic growth rate of the third world country. [14]Lastly, when
implementing trade-off there should be a considerable gain for the losing party, the gain that can
compensate what the party has lost. Peace promotion and end of hunger will facilitate growing
global economic development that SDGs has to achieve by 2030. [15]
CONCLUSION
The SDGs forms a ‘roadmap’ that everyone wants to go because it represents real
achievement globally.[15] Despite issues that arise from the goals, the global can correct the
issue and be able to achieve the stated goals.[11]To achieve the energy sustainable development
goal everyone needs to ignore the matter of growing and focus on what matters by combining the
other SDGs discussed above that forms the basis of energy sustainable development goal to
archive the stated goal. In conclusion, energy sustainable development forms the backbone of all
other goals.
Bibliography

Driscoll,8
[1] R. Kates, What is sustainable development? 2018.
[2] Y. N. N. V. M. a. S. A. Lu, Five priorities for the UN sustainable development goals, nature, 2015.
[3] M. G. D. a. V. M. Nilsson, map the interactions between Sustainable Development Goals, Nature
News, 2016.
[4] M. Epstein, Best practices in managing and measuring corporate social, environmental and
economic impacts, Routledge, 2018.
[5] J. Q. A. G. A. P. A. a. G. R. Rosenthal, Clean cooking, and the SDGs: Integrated analytical approaches
to guide energy interventions for health and environment goals, 2018.
[6] A. L. B. X. M. a. B. F. Vromen, Everyday making through Facebook engagement: young citizens’
political interactions in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, 2016.
[7] A. A. I. a. S. A. Singla, "the effects of demand pull strategies on sustainable development in
manufacturing industries,"
International Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Technology, pp.
27-34., 2017.
[8] C. a. G. A. Giupponi, Integrated spatial assessment of the water, energy and food dimensions of the
sustainable development goals, Regional Environmental Change, 2017.
[9] G. a. S. M. Schwerhoff, Financing renewable energy in Africa– the Key challenge of the sustainable
development goal, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2017.
[10] E. L. J. a. C. R. Russell, Can the SDGs Provide a Basis for Supply Chain Decisions in the Construction
Sector?. Sustainability, 2018.
[11] J. a. S. P. Rockström, How food connects all the SDGs, Stockholm, 2017.
[12] H. Dhillon, South Sudan's Obstacles to Achieving the New SDGs, 2017.
[13] C. a. K. N. x. Stevens, The transformative potential of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).,
2016.
[14] O. S. S. a. W. P. 2. Charles Jr, The business case for sustainable development, Routledge., 2017.
[15] B. H. N. R. E. W. D. W. M. a. H. A. Boyd, New business models for environmental leadership,
Routledge., 2017.