Actions to align energy projects with the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

The 2030 Agenda is an aspiring set of goals and targets that aims to prompt humanity towards a sustainable development by 2030. In order to achieve this, actions that mitigate trade-offs and enhance synergies within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) need to be identified. However, for the energy sector these actions are dispersed across the scientific literature, which is a clear barrier to encourage practitioners to have a proactive and pragmatic approach towards the SDGs. For this reason, a set of actions for energy projects was compiled. This compilation addresses the synergies and trade-offs identified in the Sustainable Development Goals Impact Assessment Framework for Energy Projects (SDG-IAE). One case of application was used to test the actions, the lighthouse Project VARGA. Subsequently, an analysis was conducted to understand how possible actions can impact different technologies, project stages, actors and SDG targets. In this way, enabling policymakers and project developers to define areas of action when evaluating policies or considering specific interventions. This article aims to be the starting point of stakeholder discussions that consistently frame energy projects within the achievement of the SDGs.

Industry 4.0: a step towards achieving the SDGs? A critical literature review

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The role of shared water management to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

“…(Negative impact). This mapping approach of the interlinkages was inspired by (Fuso Nerini et al, 2018;Nerini, 2018;Leite de Almeida et al, 2021).…”

Mainstreaming systematic Climate Action in energy infrastructure to support the Sustainable Development Goals

“…The UN SDGs can guide infrastructure practitioners to make informed choices in development of projects to support sustainable development 8, 9, 10 , and contribute to economic growth 11 . Progress has been made by the research community to conceptualise the connections between energy infrastructure and sustainable development 12,13,14,15,16 and to highlight the importance of infrastructure delivery for climate action 5,17 . However, these largely focus on the impact of the infrastructure service at the point of delivery, rather than the various stages of the infrastructure project lifecycle, each of which provides opportunities for projects to align their actions with the achievement of climate and development goals.…”