Day 11: The SDGs consultations concentrated on the Goal 7 “Affordable and clean energy”

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) consultation continued with the discussion of the Goal 7 “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all,” presented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Ministry of the Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan. The goal includes the following background,

“Between 1990 and 2010, the number of people with access to electricity has increased by 1.7 billion, and as the global population continues to rise so will the demand for cheap energy. A global economy reliant on fossil fuels and the increase of greenhouse gas emissions is creating drastic changes to our climate system. This is having a visible impact on every continent.

However, there has been a new drive to encourage alternative energy sources, and in 2011, renewable energy accounted for more than 20 percent of global power generated. Still one in five people lack access to electricity and as the demand continues to rise there needs to be a substantial increase in the production of renewable energy across the world. 

Ensuring universal access to affordable electricity by 2030 means investing in clean energy sources such as solar, wind and thermal. Adopting cost-effective standards for a wider range of technologies could also reduce the global electricity consumption by buildings and industry by 14 percent. This means avoiding roughly 1,300 mid-size power plants. Expanding infrastructure and upgrading technology to provide clean energy sources in all developing countries is a crucial goal that can both encourage growth and help the environment.” [1]

Representatives of about ten national ministries and agencies discussed the proposed five targets to the Goal 5 and their relevance to Turkmenistan. Participants of todays’ consultation agreed to adopt all five global targets as is. Two of six indicators accepted without modification.  One was changed to the local context, one requires further clarification. Two national indicators were developed.

Discussion mainly covered such topics as energy intensity and renewable sources of energy. First needs qualified human resources and computation methodology. Since Turkmenistan has undertaken commitment to report for energy intensity, the recommendation is to consult with the State Committee of Nature Protection and Land Resources to work on the given indicator.  

The country also intends to develop renewable sources of energy and work in this direction in the future. The participants proposed reporting in terms of a number of explored technologies, scientific research development in the field of renewable source of energy and their application in Turkmenistan after 2020.