The core of human sustainability relies on energy. Access to clean, affordable and sustainable energy is paramount for improving livelihood and ensuring an eco-friendly environment. Research shows that essential elements such as food and water can yield more socioeconomic benefits with access to electric power. For instance, with a reliable supply of energy, food can be preserved for later uses, and water can easily be accessed for varying purposes.
Simple as this may sound, energy access is still a challenge in the 21st century. The United Nations report indicates that about 733 million people globally still lack access to electricity. It further projects that some 670 million persons will remain without electricity by 2030. This is quite alarming, given the dependence of human sustenance on energy systems. Therefore, connecting the dots between energy and sustainability has become critical to accelerating global efforts to bridge this gap.
Energy is crucial to sustaining food and water in many ways with the increasing development level. In a 2015 report, IRENA says renewable energy possesses high capabilities of boosting water security by improving the affordability, accessibility and safety of water resources. With renewable energy, people in both urban and rural environments would have more accessible means of generating excellent and clean water through boreholes powered by solar, wind, and other forms of renewable energy without excessive use of human resources. This can also be used for irrigation to help plants grow efficiently, producing good food. In the same vein, renewable energy is also necessary for food processing, packaging and practicals; therefore, companies dealing in food production depend heavily on electricity for these items’ excellent and smooth output. Domestically, people use electric cookers, refrigerators, ovens, air fryers and other electric appliances to process food items.
In achieving SDG 7, there is a need to transition from dependency on fossil fuels to renewable energy in electricity generation. In 2018, Kenya was reported to have suffered immensely from household air pollution caused by diesel/petrol generators and firewood cooking, risking human lives and the environment. Several governmental and private institutions have been working together to reduce the heavy dependency on fossil fuels by developing and deploying renewable technologies in various localities. Solar systems, wind farms, and others have played critical roles in water, food and sustainability. Recently solar systems have been deployed to rural communities for water generation, and purification in Ghana, and similar initiatives have been carried out in other African countries. Also, countries like Cuba have commenced using renewable energy for food production, reducing the cost of labour and human capital. Many other European countries also depend on battery energy storage for both food and water production.
Meeting energy needs and providing ample food and water resources should not rely solely on governments and corporations; individuals also have a significant role to play.