SDG 7: Access to Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable, and Modern Energy for All
Year: 2021
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: The global strategic priorities articulated in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, Affordable and Clean Energy, underscore a narrative of two ‘economies’ and the conscious evolution of political prioritization in economic structuring. SDG 7 represents an aspiration to move away from the ‘old’, entrenched, ‘brown’ economic activities that developed out of the Industrial Revolution, built upon conventional fossil fuels and exhaustible natural resources, and towards ‘new’, low-, or zero-carbon-based ‘green’ economic activities that are built upon clean energy, electrification, and the decarbonization of all aspects of modern life. This narrative gives rise to numerous legal complexities and challenges for international law, derived from its structure, content, and functions related to energy activities. This chapter first explores the content of SDG 7. It then surveys the international rules and processes that may assist and/or hinder the progressive realization of SDG 7. The chapter closes by considering the role and influence of selected international institutions and non-state actors in advancing and implementing SDG 7. Keywords SDG 7, sustainable energy, energy poverty, human rights, climate change, trade and investment, global governance, international institutions, non-state actors
Authors: Stuart Bruce, Jorge E. Viñuales
Language: English
Topic: Energy Law and Policy
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4297894492