SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOR ALL FORUM 2018

The 2018 Sustainable Energy for All Forum highlighted that while progress is being made on most SDG7 objectives, the world is not on track to achieve universal energy access by 2030. Key discussions centered on the critical need to reform infrastructure finance, the emerging importance of sustainable cooling for survival and health, and the stagnation of clean cooking access, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Forum advocated for a shift toward viewing energy as a set of services rather than just electrons, emphasizing the need for integrated planning and gender-inclusive investing to reach the most vulnerable populations.

• Global progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) is insufficient to meet 2030 targets. While most indicators show positive movement, the world is not on track, and clean cooking access has remained largely stagnant for over a decade.
• Clean cooking access has declined sharply in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the number of people without access grew by 275 million between 2010 and 2016, reaching 860 million by 2016.
• Traditional financial institutions and markets are failing to keep pace with the energy transition. There is an urgent need to move away from project-based financing toward approaches that create entire markets.
• Sustainable cooling is now recognized as a critical issue for survival, health, and productivity on a warming planet, rather than a luxury or comfort issue. In Africa, the lack of cold chains results in nearly half of all food being wasted.
• The conceptualization of energy systems is shifting from the delivery of 'electrons' to the provision of energy services that enable healthcare, education, and economic prosperity.
• Gender-inclusive investing and product design are identified as risk mitigants that can improve sales growth and return on assets, as women are disproportionately affected by energy poverty.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (2018). SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOR ALL FORUM 2018. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/gather-content/SEforALL-Forum-2018-Report.pdf

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOR ALL FORUM 2018. 2018. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/gather-content/SEforALL-Forum-2018-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOR ALL FORUM 2018 |date=2018 |url=https://www.seforall.org/system/files/gather-content/SEforALL-Forum-2018-Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforall2018sustainable, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOR ALL FORUM 2018}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, year = {2018}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/system/files/gather-content/SEforALL-Forum-2018-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }