What went right this week: Europe breathes easier, plus more

Some 800 million people have gained access to electricity since 2010, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), which said the figures highlighted “encouraging progress”.

Despite the gains, however, progress remains “too slow” and uneven. The WHO warned that the global electricity access rate stagnated at 92% in 2024, with Sub-Saharan Africa increasingly left behind.  

Achieving universal access by 2030 – one of the United Nations’ (UN) sustainable development goals – will require a threefold increase in current progress, the WHO said. Furthermore, around a quarter of the world’s population still does not have access to clean fuels for cooking. 

Still, the WHO said that, with the right policies, meeting the target is possible. It called for an acceleration of renewable energy deployment – a call echoed by the UN. 

“We have seen encouraging progress in expanding access to affordable, reliable and clean energy, however, this year’s report shows that millions of people still lack access,” said the UN’s Li Junhua.

“The current global energy crisis presents an opportunity to accelerate the transition to clean energy in support of energy security. Seizing this opportunity will require substantial scaling-up of international support and investment.”

Image: Vignesh Moorthy