SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 7

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

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OBJECTIVE:

“Between 2000 and 2018, the number of people with electricity increased from 78 to 90 percent, and the numbers without electricity dipped to 789 million”.

“Yet as the population continues to grow, so will the demand for cheap energy, and an economy reliant on fossil fuels is creating drastic changes to our climate”.

“Investing in solar, wind and thermal power, improving energy productivity, and ensuring energy for all is vital if we are to achieve SDG 7 by 2030”.

“Expanding infrastructure and upgrading technology to provide clean and more efficient energy in all countries will encourage growth and help the environment”.

(Sustainable development goals: United Nations Development Programme: Goal 7 Affordable and Clean Energy)

HOW ANIMAL EXPLOITATION UNDERMINES THIS GOAL

AG use of Fossil Fuels: Animal agriculture in its entirety from field to table is the third-largest consumer of unsustainable fossil fuels, after energy production and overall industrial usage (1). It is also a heavy user of petrochemicals through its application of enhancement chemicals; fertilisers, herbicides, and pesticides (2).

AG Methane Biogas a False Solution: Animal agriculture produces methane from animals and their waste. A livestock industry bid of methane capture for biogas is not clean energy, as it still emits considerable GHGs in its process (3). Continuing intensive animal farming does not lessen the release of other GHGs emitted by the industry (4). Animal Ag. also produces a large percentage of food waste in landfills which emit methane (5).

AG Supply Chain: In the animal agriculture supply chain, animal feed is often grown in one continent, and exported to another (6). Live animals are also frequently transported long distances by land and water. In the US, live animals are the first listed in commodities transport (7). Animal parts not consumed in place are often processed and turned into other consumer products (8). The resulting emissions are usually attributed to transport or other industries even though they are still a part of the industrial exploitation of animals.

Download the document below to read the full list of the latest citations of evidence as to how animal exploitation undermines the progress of SDG Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

SDG7

Further Reading:

Goal 7 : Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform (United Nations website)

“Energy consumption in animal production” – I. Veermäe, J. Frorip, E. Kokin, J. Praks, V. Poikalainen, A. Ruus, L.Lepasalu – https://enpos.weebly.com/uploads

“Replacing Just 10% of Animal Ag With Plant-Based Would Save Land Equivalent to Size of Germany” – If 10% of the global animal market was replaced by plant-based products, by 2030 we could save CO2 emissions equivalent to 2.7 billion trees – https://vegconomist.com/environment

“Livestock and Climate Change” – By Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang – https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/veganaustralia/pages/21/attachments/original

“Milking the Planet” – How Big Dairy is heating up the planet and hollowing rural communities, Jun 15, 2020, by Shefali Sharma – https://www.iatp.org

SDG7