Affordable and Clean Energy

The United Nations Statistics Division’s (UNSD) mission in the area of energy statistics is to strengthen national statistical systems in order to provide high quality energy statistics and balances. UNSD collects annual and monthly energy statistics and disseminates them on flagships data publications: The Energy Statistical Yearbook, the Energy Balances, the Electricity Profiles, and the Energy Statistics Pocketbook.

The first months of 2022 witnessed an accelerated spike in the international prices of food and energy as a result of the ripple effects of the war in Ukraine. In the following months, from May to September 2022, food prices dropped while natural gas and coal prices continued to surge. At present, low- and middle-income countries are primarily facing a food crisis, whereas high-income countries are predominantly challenged by an energy crisis. Policy responses have also diverged: Subsidies account for about 40 percent of responses, while cash and in-kind transfers accrue 39 percent. There are vast inequalities and inefficiencies at play: Some 53 percent of transfers and subsidies are spent in high-income countries, whereas low-income countries account for only 1 percent of the policy response. On average, for every US$1,000 spent per month, a universal subsidy would prevent one person from falling into poverty, but this number increases to 2.7 if the same amount is spent on a targeted cash transfer scheme. The cost-of-living crisis has not ended—in fact, it is further exacerbating other crises.

The planetary crisis is the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced, an existential threat calling into question the future of civilization. Unless collective action is taken to halt and reverse the decline of the planet’s ecosystems, the road to 2030 will be defined by accelerating levels of social vulnerability, poverty and crisis. The polycrisis experienced in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region over the past decade is a case in point, providing critical insights on the role of ecological change in the emergence of complex multidimensional crises. This paper explores lessons and insights from a new generation of integrated local solutions that have emerged across the region to manage risks and build resilience and makes the case for a new systems orientation to development paradigms and practice to achieve goals of transformational change. In moving towards 2030, a new paradigm is needed in which development is seen no longer as a linear set of goals and targets but as the emergent property of a complex socioecological system.

The rapid adoption of renewable energy technologies and the transition away from fossil fuels are vital for combating climate change. Achieving net-zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2050 will require much faster deployment of clean energy technologies, including wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles (EVs) and battery storage systems. This shift is fueling a sharp rise in demand for critical energy transition minerals such as copper, cobalt, lithium, nickel, and rare earth elements, particularly as developing countries work to achieve universal energy access and diversify their economies. For instance, an onshore wind power plant requires nine times more mineral inputs than a gas-fired plant of the same capacity, while an EV needs six times more minerals than a conventional car. Additionally, the average mineral requirement for new power generation capacity increased by 50 per cent during the 2010s, driven by the growing share of renewables in total capacity additions. Against this backdrop, countries rich in critical mineral resources have an opportunity to unlock significant development benefits. These minerals can attract foreign and domestic investment, create jobs, and boost fiscal revenues, exports, and overall economic growth. However, quantifying the economic scale of the mining industry remains challenging, especially due to the volatility of mineral prices, which directly impact valuations.