Actions to align energy projects with the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

The 2030 Agenda is an aspiring set of goals and targets that aims to prompt humanity towards a sustainable development by 2030. In order to achieve this, actions that mitigate trade-offs and enhance synergies within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) need to be identified. However, for the energy sector these actions are dispersed across the scientific literature, which is a clear barrier to encourage practitioners to have a proactive and pragmatic approach towards the SDGs. For this reason, a set of actions for energy projects was compiled. This compilation addresses the synergies and trade-offs identified in the Sustainable Development Goals Impact Assessment Framework for Energy Projects (SDG-IAE). One case of application was used to test the actions, the lighthouse Project VARGA. Subsequently, an analysis was conducted to understand how possible actions can impact different technologies, project stages, actors and SDG targets. In this way, enabling policymakers and project developers to define areas of action when evaluating policies or considering specific interventions. This article aims to be the starting point of stakeholder discussions that consistently frame energy projects within the achievement of the SDGs.