Issues and solutions in the sustainable energy field

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), proposed by the Open Working Group of the UN General Assembly, demonstrate the importance of the natural environment and its resources to human well-being. Overall, this is an undeniably important document for the 21st century, as it addresses the manifold challenges we face as a global community. Sustainable Development Goal 7 – “to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all” – is a challenge that faces every country and affects everyone. To understand the need to achieve this goal and what is required for this, we need to understand its very formulation. The four key elements of Goal 7 are accessibility, reliability, sustainability and modernity. These different elements are not mutually exclusive. They intersect and in some cases are even closely intertwined with each other. The use of energy sources should help ensure the uninterrupted flow of electricity to meet basic human needs, maintain and improve the functioning of society, and improve living standards. In addition, all these functions must be performed taking into account the principles of sustainable development, that is, in such a way that the volumes of electricity generated significantly exceed the volumes of waste and pollution generated during the use of energy sources. All sustainable energy must be modern, although not all forms of modern energy are sustainable. Coal is perhaps the most striking example. History shows that this natural resource was indispensable for industrialization and the improvement of human well-being. It is thanks to the use of coal that today more and more people around the world can enjoy a standard of living that was unimaginable in the past. However, coal's many advantages (such as its abundance in nature, its widespread occurrence, and its relative ease of use) are offset by a long list of serious problems. In an age of rapid population growth and environmental degradation, the list continues to grow.

Solutions must be sought at a global level, with national governments and various institutions working together. International agreements related to climate change are the most notable achievements in this area. The SDGs also helped define areas of cooperation and helped build consensus on priority issues. In terms of development strategy, an important example in this area is the transition of a number of developing countries to the use of technologies based on clean energy.

Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy is an integral factor in global development in the 21st century. Not all solutions to this problem have yet been found, and those measures that have already been decided to be taken are sometimes not so easy to implement. Finding these solutions and applying them to different situations will not be easy. However, this task is achievable, provided that international organizations can show enough foresight, governments work together, and local communities and citizens themselves have good reasons and the necessary means to do so. SDG 7 is a very small but important step in this direction.