ISLAMABAD: Amid the ongoing COP27 UN climate conference in Egypt aimed at limiting global warming, Pakistan’s energy ministry has launched a new roadmap on affordable and clean energy, one of 17 interlinked goals of a global action plan aimed at resolving the social, economic and environmental problems troubling the world.

The roadmap is aimed at helping the government achieve the energy target — called SDG 7, as it’s number 7 on the list of Sustainable Development Goals. The road map contains a matrix of technological options and enabling policy measures for the government to consider.

The 17 SDGs, set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly, aim to achieve these several aims by 2030, including ending poverty and hunger, combating inequality, building peaceful, just and inclusive societies, protecting human rights, promoting gender equality, etc. SDG 7 — “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all” — consists of five targets.

According to the UN, only 77 per cent of Pakistan’s population had access to grid electricity, and based on the historical trend, it is estimated that Pakistan will achieve universal access to electricity by 2027.

Universal access to clean cooking technology and fuel, however, has been and is likely to remain very low under the current policy scenario (it was 49.3pc in 2021, and is estimated to increase to 59.2pc by 2030).

Pakistan has yet to achieve universal access to electricity. Based on the historical trend, however, it is estimated that Pakistan will achieve universal access to electricity by 2027. On the other hand, more than 50pc of the population in Pakistan relied on polluting cooking fuel and technology in 2021.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2022