Accelerating the achievement of SDG7: Enhancing capacities and South-South cooperation
in support of SDG7 review, follow up and implementation
Synopsis
In view of the first global review of the SDG7 at the High-Level Political Forum in 2018, this project aimed to leverage the HLPF for enhancing partnerships and South-South cooperation, with a special attention to energy¡¯s interlinkages with other SDGs. The objective of this project was, therefore, to enhance capacities, dialogues, and South-South cooperation in support of effective review, follow-up and implementation of SDG7 in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Overall, the project has enabled the development of a vast range of policy materials and reports as well as the organization of a series of capacity building events and advocacy events during major UN Conferences, which succeeded in raising awareness of government officials and other experts of the challenges around the implementation of SDG7.
The main deliverables of the project include:
- Support to the Multi-Stakeholder Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on SDG7 with 22 scheduled meetings, 18 side events, developed 26 policy briefs on energy, 5 technical reports as inputs to the High-Level Dialogue on Energy, and the 2021 SDG7 Tracking Reports: The Energy Progress Report, which monitored and assessed achievements in the global quest for universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030.
- Strengthened partnerships between SDG7 and other SDGs, including one on energy and water and another on energy and health interlinkages. Interlinkages were showcased in 3 symposiums and 17 capacity building seminars in-person and online.
- Contribution to the preparation of the High-Level Dialogue on Energy held in September 2021, including support to its preparatory process, consultation with Member States and relevant stakeholders, capacity development webinars and expert group meetings on critical thematic areas for the dialogue, crafting key messages to enhance advocacy and outreach.
Spotlights
Biogas production for household use in Western Parana communities, Brazil (Itaipu Binacional)
Capacity building for clean household energy for health and women empowerment
Energy poverty affects women and girls more than any other. They bear the burden on their security, when light fades away with the sun, on their health, as they cook with polluting sources such as dung or charcoal, or when they work or study with polluting devices such as kerosene lights. In many places, access to energy is taken for granted, but in developing countries it is often a luxury. If polluting fuels are replaced in households with clean sources of energy and capacities are built accordingly, women are empowered. It can offer them more security, a healthier environment and the possibility to expand their economic activities.
However, as highlighted in the Goal 7 review at the 2018 High-Level Political Forum, progress on these critical issues is falling short of what is needed to achieve Goal 7 by 2030. To accelerate clean energy access and the achievement of Goal 7 in developing countries, strengthened capacity-building will be necessary.
The project ¡°Accelerating the achievement of SDG7: Enhancing capacities and South-South cooperation in support of SDG7 review, follow up and implementation¡± has supported a number of organizations in Developing Countries to share lessons learned from best practices, apply the knowledge to enhance capacity building activities on the ground. One good example is Itaipu Binacional (Brazil-Paraguay), which participated at the Global SDG7 conference in Bangkok, where they shared their experience and learned from good examples of other participants. Through their International Center on Renewable Energy ¨C Biog¨¢s (CIBiog¨¢s-ER), ITAIPU successfully applied the knowledge gained during the conference. They strengthened capacity building efforts to technology research for the production of biogas from animal waste treatment, as well as to promote knowledge generation, capacity building and technology transfer on biogas production and its application for several uses, including cooking and electricity generation. At present, CIBiog¨¢s is in charge of the implementation and monitoring of 12 Demonstration Units in small and medium rural properties and cooperatives in the western Paran¨¢ and Uruguay, which are helping enhance capacities at business and community level and improving the health, livelihoods and economic opportunities of numerous families.