Energy Access Outlook 2017

by International Energy Agency, June 22, 2018 in IEA


Energy access is the “golden thread” that weaves together economic growth, human development and environmental sustainability. The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, and the adoption of SDG 7.1 specifically – the goal to ensure access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy for all by 2030 – established a new level of political recognition for energy’s central role in development.

Improvements in technologies are offering new opportunities for making significant progress on the SDG goal on electricity access.  The combination of declining costs for solar and decentralised solutions, cheaper and more efficient lighting and appliances, and new business models making use of digital, mobile-enabled platforms has increased the number of available solutions to cater to those currently without electricity access. But many challenges remain, particularly for clean cooking.

New World Atlas of Desertification shows unprecedented pressure on planet’s resources

by European Commission Joint Research Centre, June 21, 2018 in ScienceDaily


The main findings show that population growth and changes in our consumption patterns put unprecedented pressure on the planet’s natural resources:

  • Over 75% of the Earth’s land area is already degraded, and over 90% could become degraded by 2050.

  • Globally, a total area half of the size of the European Union (4.18 million km²) is degraded annually, with Africa and Asia being the most affected.

  • The economic cost of soil degradation for the EU is estimated to be in the order of tens of billions of euros annually.

  • Land degradation and climate change are estimated to lead to a reduction of global crop yields by about 10% by 2050. Most of this will occur in India, China and sub-Saharan Africa, where land degradation could halve crop production.

  • As a consequence of accelerated deforestation it will become more difficult to mitigate the effects of climate change

  • By 2050, up to 700 million people are estimated to have been displaced due to issues linked to scarce land resources. The figure could reach up to 10 billion by the end of this century.