UNITED NATIONS, May 24 (Xinhua) -- A recent report by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs called for urgent reinforced action and more investment, particularly in least developed countries, on Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) on energy by 2030.

The UN's SDG 7 is to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. According to the report, governments, businesses and civil society organizations have made tremendous strides in bringing affordable and clean energy to more people in recent years.

However, this progress has been "largely uneven and must be accelerated in order to leave no one behind," the report said.

Closing the energy access gap to benefit the remaining unserved people will be challenging. Maintaining and extending the pace of progress will require strong political commitment, long-term energy planning, stepped-up private financing, and adequate policy and fiscal incentives, it added.

"Current investment is not spread equally." The report noted that 1.3 to 1.4 trillion U.S. dollars per year is required to meet SDG 7, more than twice the current level, adding that energy efficiency and renewable energy investments continue to act as robust socio-economic drivers.

Liu Zhenmin, United Nations Undersecretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said that despite increases in electrification over the last 2 years, about 840 million people still lack access to electricity.

Meanwhile, around 3 billion people rely on wood, charcoal, animal and crop wastes, or other solid fuels to cook their food and heat their homes, and the rate of progress towards cleaner fuels and technologies in fact slowed down between 2009 and 2017, he added.

"There is still much to do to ensure universal access," said Liu, at high-level dialogue on the implementation of the global plan of action of the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Energy for All 2014-2024.

Held at the UN headquarters in New York on May 23-24, the two-day high-level dialogue reviewed the progress towards the goals of the UN Decade of Sustainable Energy for All, and its global plan of action.

"We have been witnessing tremendous progress in the adoption of renewable technologies, along with rapid cost declines and strategic shifts in policies that are transforming energy systems in many parts of the world," said Sheila Oparaocha, Executive Director of the ENERGIA International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy and co-facilitator of the SDG 7 Technical Advisory Group.

"Though we have strong momentum, we must continue to mobilize greater political will and cooperation, as well as higher levels of public and private investments in a sustainable energy future," Oparaocha added. Enditem

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