Introduction
In 2015, the United Nations launched 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a roadmap toward a better and more sustainable future by 2030. These goals span critical areas from poverty eradication and climate action to health, education, and energy. This 3-part series examines the relevance of the SDGs in 2025, focusing on goals that rely on science and technology. These include Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Goal 13: Climate Action, Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being, and Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. We’ll summarize global progress on these goals as of 2025, discuss the key challenges, and suggest how to accelerate outcomes. The aim is an analytical, evidence-based look at where we stand and how we can still drive sustainable development by 2030.
As of 2025, global progress is seriously off track. According to the UN, only about 12% of SDG targets are on pace to be met by 2030, while over half show weak or insufficient progress. More than 30% have stalled or even reversed. The COVID-19 pandemic, climate disasters, and geopolitical conflicts like the war in Ukraine have severely disrupted momentum. With just five years remaining, it is imperative to assess where we stand on energy and industry innovation.
Among the 17 SDGs, SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy, and SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – stand out as foundational. Both goals are pivotal to achieving broader sustainability objectives by enabling development through reliable energy, resilient systems, and technological advancement.
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
Electrification Gains
SDG 7 aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. On the positive side, progress has been made in global electrification. As of 2021, the global electrification rate had risen to 91%, up from 87% in 2015. This means that millions of households have gained access to electricity for the first time, often through grid expansion or off-grid solar solutions (UN DESA, Goal 7).
Clean Cooking Lags Behind
Access to clean cooking fuels such as LPG, electricity, or biogas also increased from 64% in 2015 to 71% in 2021. Despite this improvement, 2.3 billion people still rely on polluting fuels like wood or charcoal, resulting in millions of deaths from indoor air pollution annually (UN DESA, Goal 7).
Renewable Energy Adoption
The share of renewables in global final energy consumption increased from 16.7% in 2015 to 19.1% in 2020. In the electricity sector, the share of renewables reached about 28% in 2020, driven by rapid growth in solar and wind power. The cost of clean technologies has fallen dramatically, with the cost of electricity from solar PV dropping by 85% between 2010 and 2020, making it the most cost-effective option in many regions (UN Renewable Energy).
Investment trends are promising. Global clean energy investment in 2024 is expected to surpass fossil fuel investments by a 2-to-1 margin. Approximately $2 trillion is projected to flow into clean energy, compared to about $1 trillion in oil, gas, and coal (IEA via The Guardian).
Persistent Gaps and Inequities
Despite these gains, large disparities remain. More than 675 million people still lived without electricity as of 2021, mostly in least-developed countries and sub-Saharan Africa. At the current pace, an estimated 660 million people will remain without access to electricity by 2030. Clean cooking lags even further behind: one-third of humanity continues to rely on dirty fuels for cooking (UN DESA, Goal 7).
Energy systems worldwide are still heavily fossil fuel-dependent. The 2022 energy supply crunch, driven in part by the war in Ukraine, caused some countries to increase coal use. Others used the crisis to double down on renewables. These policy swings create uncertainty and undermine long-term transition planning.
Global progress on energy efficiency is also lagging. The improvement in primary energy intensity was only 0.8% in 2021, far below the 2.6% annual improvement needed to meet the SDG target 7.3. Furthermore, financing remains a major barrier: public international clean energy finance totaled just $15.4 billion in 2022, only half its 2016 peak.
Pathways to Acceleration
To move SDG 7 forward, multiple interventions are required. First, scaling up proven clean technologies such as solar, wind, and battery storage must be prioritized. Second, financing mechanisms must be expanded—especially for low-income countries. Third, enabling policies can help. Examples include renewable energy standards, tax incentives for clean technologies, and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies.
The private sector plays a crucial role. Corporate investment in renewable energy projects has increased, and many companies are sourcing 100% of their electricity from renewable sources. Innovations like pay-as-you-go solar home systems and mini-grids offer viable solutions for remote and underserved populations. Energy storage, including lithium batteries, flow batteries, and green hydrogen, is essential for integrating intermittent renewable sources into national grids.
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Industrial Growth and Recovery
SDG 9 encompasses inclusive industrialization, innovation, and resilient infrastructure, . The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global manufacturing, but recovery began by 2021. Industrial output has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. High-tech industries—electronics, pharmaceuticals, and electrical equipment—have rebounded more strongly, showing how innovation increases resilience.
In 2022, the medium- and high-technology sectors grew globally. Manufacturing value-added (MVA) per capita increased from $1,646 in 2015 to approximately $1,875 in 2022. However, this growth is highly unequal. Advanced economies reached nearly $5,000 MVA per capita, while least-developed countries stagnated at around $159 (UN DESA, Goal 9).
Connectivity and Digital Inclusion
Digital infrastructure has seen major advances. By 2022, about 95% of the global population was covered by a mobile broadband signal (3G or higher), compared to 78% in 2015. Yet access is not equal—sub-Saharan Africa still had 17–18% of the population uncovered in 2022, especially in rural areas.
Innovation Trends
Global spending on R&D rose from 1.7% of GDP in 2015 to approximately 1.93% in 2021. The number of researchers increased from 1,143 per million people in 2015 to 1,352 in 2021, with a modest rise in the proportion of female researchers (~31.5%).
Structural Bottlenecks
Key challenges persist. Small-scale industries in developing countries face limited access to credit—only 16–17% of small manufacturers in sub-Saharan Africa received loans or lines of credit, compared to about 45% in Latin America. High-tech manufacturing is highly concentrated, with Africa contributing less than 1% of global output.
Industrial emissions also pose challenges. Carbon dioxide emissions from energy and industry hit an all-time high of 36.8 billion tons in 2022. Although CO₂ intensity (emissions per unit of GDP) improved by ~16% since 2015, it is not enough to counteract the overall growth in industrial output.
Action Priorities for SDG 9
To bridge the gaps, countries must invest in sustainable infrastructure, especially in LDCs. Public-private partnerships can drive projects in roads, power grids, and rural broadband. Technology transfer and capacity-building will enable developing nations to ascend the industrial value chain. This includes flexible intellectual property arrangements, training for STEM talent, and incubation support for local startups.
Digital expansion must continue. The remaining 5–10% of the global population lacking internet access could be reached through satellite broadband and subsidized services. Private telecoms and tech firms will play a central role here.
Finally, green industry and innovation are crucial. Governments and multilateral institutions can support energy efficiency, renewable-powered factories, and low-carbon industrial processes like green hydrogen in steelmaking. Financing from developed countries can support emerging economies in this transition—yielding climate, employment, and health benefits.
Conclusion
In 2025, SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy, and SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure remain critical yet underachieved goals. While technology and investment have sparked progress in electrification, renewables, and digital access, inequality, financing shortfalls, and emissions growth hinder success. The next five years must focus on scaling proven solutions, removing policy roadblocks, and ensuring no country is left behind in the clean energy and industry innovation transition. Innovation and collaboration are key, not just to achieving these goals, but to realizing the entire SDG vision.
(This is Part 1 of a 3-part series on the SDGs in 2025. Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.)
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