Sustainable Development Goals
SDG7 – Affordable and Clean Energy
Between 2000 and 2016, the number of people with electricity increased from 78 to 87 percent, and the numbers without electricity dipped to just below one billion. Yet as the population continues to grow, so will the demand for cheap energy, and an economy reliant on fossil fuels is creating drastic changes to our climate. Investing in solar, wind and thermal power, improving energy productivity, and ensuring energy for all is vital if we are to achieve SDG 7 by 2030 (UNDP).
Relying on unclean energy to fuel our lives speeds up climate change and impacts people’s health (through combustion of fossil fuels, and the impacts of our changing climate). Investing in clean energy is good for the health of people and our planet.
In recent years we have seen more Scout halls, campsites and even Branch headquarters install solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to generate renewable energy. We have seen more Scouts move away from gas lanterns and towards solar/battery powered lanterns, and efforts to improve energy efficiency. We are committed to a minimal impact approach and energy efficiency through our Sustainability Strategy & Action Plan. Check out the resources below to learn more, take action, and then share to spread the word.
Learn more and take action
- WOSM’s Scouts For SDGs page: Affordable and Clean Energy (WOSM)
- Scouting Ireland’s 17days17sdgs campaign: Affordable and Clean Energy (SI)
How can you support clean energy use in our efforts to have a sustainable future?
Many Australians are privileged to have easy access to electricity and energy. For some people, they choose to live “off-the-grid”, instead utilising clean or renewable energy sources, such as solar, hydro and wind.
Scouts Australia’s youth program team have started developing ideas for how you might engage with each of the Sustainable Development Goals. This card challenges you to contribute to our global goal of Affordable and Clean Energy by considering what types of energy you access and use, and what you might be able to do differently. Every small part counts as we work towards these goals!
Share your efforts
Now that you’ve taken action, share it to inspire others. If you post to social media, please tag Scouts Australia and include the hashtags #Scouts4SDGs #ScoutsAustralia #SDG07 #CleanEnergy, and then head over to scout.org to register your project: https://www.scout.org/node/add/project
