Energy

Energy is a central component of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), explicitly reflected in SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy. However, the theme of energy cuts across multiple SDGs, demonstrating the interconnectivity of these global goals.

SDG 7's objective is to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. Energy, in its various forms, is a vital driver of economic growth and is pivotal to nearly all aspects of development. Without a steady and reliable supply of energy, societies can hardly progress. However, millions of people around the world still lack access to modern and clean energy services. The emphasis on "affordable and clean" energy within this goal shows the need to transition from traditional energy sources, often characterized by high environmental costs, to more sustainable ones like wind, solar, and hydropower.

Energy's role is also significant in achieving other SDGs. For example, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, emphasizes the need for sustainable and resilient infrastructure with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean technologies. It is almost impossible to achieve this without a sustainable energy framework. Similarly, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, calls for making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, and one of its targets (11.6) directly refers to the environmental impact of cities, for which energy is a key factor.

Furthermore, energy is a crucial player in SDG 13: Climate Action. The energy sector represents the largest single source of global greenhouse gas emissions. Transitioning to a sustainable energy future, therefore, is critical for tackling climate change. Efforts to reduce emissions and promote clean energy sources are crucial to mitigate climate change and its impacts.

Elsevier,

iScience, Volume 26, Issue 1, 20 January 2023, 105803

In this paper the authors show how the heterogeneity in cities means that individual cities need specific low-carbon roadmaps, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach
This article supports SDG 7 by evaluating the geothermal potential of the granitic rocks which is important in long-term sustainable renewable energy projects due to increasing energy demand.
Elsevier,

Energy and Climate Change, Volume 4, December 2023

The importance of an updating of fundamental energy law to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 in the energy sector.
This chapter advances UN SDGs 12, 11, and 7 by explaining the links between renewable energy, water, and the environment, with the explicit goal of meeting sustainable development goals.
This article supports SDGs 7 and 13 by comparing the economy and carbon emissions of electrochemical energy storage (EES) and hydrogen energy storage (HES) in renewable energy storage, and it was found that lithium-ion batteries and certain HES routes perform best in LCOS and carbon emissions, supporting their use to achieve future decarbonization goals.
This article supports SDGs 7 & 13 by uncovering areas of consensus and disagreement between models and experts around the clean energy transition
This article tackles the issue of high energy consumption created by data centers. They find an immediate way to quickly mitigate some of the massive energy sink is by simply operating data centers at higher temperatures. As such, this article supports SDGs 9 (ensuring data centers that are key to current society are sustainable) and 13 (a rapid solution to immediately reduce fossil-fuel driven energy consumption).
Elsevier,

Oil Spill Detection, Identification, and Tracing, 2024, Pages 161-178

This chapter advances UN SDG goals 13 and 12 by addressing technologies that advance the detection of spills and protect marine ecology / environments as well as human health.
This chapter advances UN SDG goals 7 and 13 by evaluating the prospects for microalgae-based biofuels replacing fossil fuels in the global energy industry.
This chapter advances UN SDG goals 7 and 13 by evaulating the potential of hydrogen energy globally as an alternative to fossil fuels for energy and transportation.

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