Sustainable Energy Goals: Bringing The Planetary Protection, Prosperity, And Peace One Goal At A Time.

“A sustainable world is one where people can escape poverty and enjoy decent work without harming the earth’s essential ecosystems and resources; where people can stay healthy and get the food and water they need; where everyone can access clean energy that doesn’t contribute to climate change; where women and girls are afforded equal rights and equal opportunities.”

United Nations

It’s easy to find information on what’s wrong with the world. A quick google search will pop up hundreds of pages about how habitat loss threatens millions of animals. Or how land destruction impacts the well-being of billions of people who rely on that land for food, medicine, income, and clean air. We read how soaring global temperatures from air pollution are depleting water supplies, causing more natural disasters, and turning the once-healthy agricultural ground into a desert. All the while, billions of people still struggle for income, food, healthcare, shelter, and education.

“We are using the equivalent of 1.6 Earths to maintain our way of life.”

United Nations

In 2015 the world came together to figure out how to make a healthier, safer, peaceful, and more prosperous planet by 2030. The result was 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), intertwining environmental, economic, and social needs, knowing that one can’t thrive without the other [i].

These goals are critical in sub-Saharan Africa, where communities are most vulnerable to climate change. There, agriculture is the backbone of the economy.

The landscape cannot adapt to such quick temperature increases and rainfall decreases, leaving communities vulnerable to drought, soil erosion, food insecurity, and increased poverty [ii].

Need for more agricultural land results in an average of 4 million hectares of forest being cut down each year, further degrading soil, reducing carbon emission uptake by trees, and adding to climate change impacts [iii].

Sub-Saharan Africa is more vulnerable due to the far-spread geography of communities. Information, energy grids, and helpful technologies cannot be easily spread.

Aside from deforestation, erosion, and drought, climate change negatively impacts women. In sub-Saharan Africa, climate change negatively affects poverty, health, food security, and energy resources, disproportionately affecting women because of their direct involvement in agriculture and natural resource management [v].

Women are the backbone of their communities since they manage food, water, and energy sources, including costly fuels such as charcoal and firewood for cooking and eating [v]. Their lives, families, and communities are directly tied to their work and a healthy environment.

Solar Sister knows that women are on the front lines of climate change and therefore realizes they should be at the forefront of the solution. Since 2009, our mission has been to eradicate energy poverty by empowering women with economic opportunity.

We have invested in women’s enterprises in off-grid communities and deliberately created a woman-centered network of entrepreneurs to bring clean energy technology to even the most remote communities in rural Africa [vi].

How does this relate to the SDGs? Impressively, Solar Sister entrepreneurs’ work contributes directly to the 9 Sustainable Development Goals:

Why does it matter? Human well-being is linked to each other. Growing inequality can cause political and economic tension, instability, and conflict. It’s harmful to economic and social growth [vii].

Facts: 10 % of the world’s population still lives in poverty, living on less than $1.90 per day, most of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. Seven hundred million people struggle to get healthcare and access to clean water, energy, and air [i].

How is Solar Sister Achieving this Goal? Through sustainable energy business training, Solar Sister improves women’s economic well-being and increases income, savings, financial skills, and financial planning. To date, $263,015,104 additional revenue has been generated in off-grid sub-Saharan communities.

Why does it matter? Healthy lives and well-being are essential to building and maintaining a thriving society [viii].

Facts: Every 2 seconds, someone 30-70 years old dies prematurely from cardiovascular, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes, or cancer [i]. Indoor cookstove air pollution caused 700,000 fatalities across Africa in 2019 [ix].

How is Solar Sister Achieving this Goal? Solar Sister entrepreneurs have replaced 283,032 kerosene lamps across sub-Saharan Africa, reducing harmful black carbon emissions into the air. They have also sold 23,712 clean energy cookstoves reducing indoor smoke emissions.

Why does it matter? When people have a quality education, they can break from the cycle of poverty and become empowered to live more sustainable lives. Quality education helps reduce inequalities and reach gender equality [x].

Facts: 103 million kids worldwide lack basic literacy skills, and more than 60% are women and girls. Twenty-nine million children in sub-Saharan Africa remain out of school [i].

How is Solar Sister Achieving this Goal? By providing communities with clean energy solar lights, youths can study after it gets dark. 89% of children report studying with solar lights. Additionally, the added income from a Solar Sister business allows families to fund their children’s education.

Why does it matter? Women and girls make up half of the world’s population and, therefore, half its potential for success [xi].

Facts: Women only earn 77 cents for every dollar a man earns for the same position. Women only make up 13% of agricultural landowners [i].

How is Solar Sister Achieving this Goal? 83% of Solar Sister Entrepreneurs are women. 63% of our women entrepreneurs use Solar Sister to run other businesses, 93% report increased control over household decisions, and 96% feel more respected in the household.

Why does it matter? Energy is pivotal to everyday life. It allows for a successful business, medicine, education, and agricultural sectors. Unsustainable energy production such as oil, gas, and coal produces large amounts of greenhouse gases that negatively impact human health and the environment [xii].

Facts: One out of 10 people still lacks electricity, with more than half living in sub-Saharan Africa. 2.8 billion rely on polluting and harmful fuels for cooking [i].

How is Solar Sister Achieving this Goal? Solar Sister entrepreneurs have sold over 647,241 clean energy products to rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa, reaching more than 3 million people with clean energy.

Why does it matter? Consistent work and economic growth create good jobs and improve living standards [xiii].

Facts: 85 million women are underutilized in the workforce. It is expected that 1 million people every year will become unemployed due to the growing population and reduction in jobs [i].

How is Solar Sister Achieving this Goal? We have 6042 cumulative female entrepreneurs, 63% of whom use Solar Sister to run separate businesses.

Why does it matter? Inequalities are a risk to social and economic development because it slows down poverty reduction, destroys self-worth, and thus can bring crime, disease, and environmental destruction. To achieve a sustainable planet, everyone needs to be included in opportunities and services [xiv].

Facts: If the world keeps operating as ‘business as usual,’ the top 1% will have 39% of the world’s wealth. Women spend twice as much time on unpaid housework than men, and only 60% of countries have the same access to financial services as men [i].

How is Solar Sister Achieving this Goal? Our entrepreneurs receive financial and business training, allowing them to save more, enjoy social and economic benefits, and open new businesses.

Why does it matter? 3.5 billion people live in cities, which is only expected to grow. This means the future is ‘urban.’ Thus, sustainable healthcare, reduced poverty, and a healthy environment need to be found in city life [xv].

Facts: 90% of urban expansion will be in the developing world in the next two decades, putting pressure on water supplies, the environment, and public health [i].

How is Solar Sister Achieving this Goal? Solar Sister increases the sustainability of rural African communities by providing women with renewable energy, sustainable cookstoves, and economic opportunity. Solar Sister expanded into Kenya in 2022, merging with LivelyHoods’s clean energy work in urban areas in Kenya.

Why does it matter? Human-caused activities drive climate change and global warming. This threatens our future resources and overall way of life. Addressing the climate crisis will make a sustainable life for all [xvi].

Facts: The planet is facing a warming climate. The climate is heating up too quickly for people and nature to adapt, habitat loss, threatening ~ estimated 1 million species with extinction, and pollution to our air, land, and water [i].

How is Solar Sister Achieving this Goal? Solar Sister clean energy cookstoves and solar lights reduce kerosene’s black carbon and smoke pollution into the atmosphere. They also minimize deforestation by reducing the need for costly wood fuel. To date, Solar Sister has mitigated 946,763 tons of CO2e.

What sustainable development goals are you committing to? Let’s take action together!

WRITER;

Okereke Owo

Reference

Jessica Cheadle, Solar Sister Intern