UN OWG Proposed Target 7.1
RATING: As written this target is FAIR, because achieving universal access requires large infrastructure investment over a relatively short period of time which will likely be extremely costly. However, if the target is set more realistically then the rating is PHENOMENAL. Increasing access to modern energy has very large benefits from an economic, health and education perspective. The costs are not trivial, but the benefits are potentially enormous.
Better wording: By 2030 increase to x% the proportion of people able to access modern energy services.
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In our recent report, not just the target above, but all 169 targets have been assessed by 60 teams of the world’s top economists. The targets have been categorized into five ratings based on evidence of economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits. While we applaud that the UN Open Working Group's final outcome document contains 43 fewer targets than the previous document, we are concerned that many targets have simply been combined, therefore reducing the number of both phenomenal and poor targets assessed according to our cost-benefit analysis. Our new assessment includes suggestions for how these can be improved as reported in this article by the Financial Times.
