United Nations, June 25 : There are still 655 million people, or 8 per cent of the global population, living without electricity, with the majority in Sub-Saharan Africa, a latest UN report has shown.

In addition, 1.8 billion people currently use polluting fuels and technologies for cooking, which has put their health and well-being at risk, according to the latest edition of Tracking Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7: The Energy Progress Report, released on Wednesday (local time).

Sub-Saharan Africa bears a disproportionate share of these gaps, with over 560 million people living without electricity and 970 million lacking access to clean cooking. The report said the pace of electrification must triple in this region to achieve universal access by 2030.

Despite these challenges, the report highlighted encouraging progress in several areas of sustainable energy. Renewable energy, for example, continued its strong expansion, accounting for over 30 per cent of global electricity consumption, reports Xinhua news agency.

However, the report warned that without urgent and scaled-up action, the world will fall short of achieving SDG 7 targets to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy by 2030. Moreover, while the current global energy crisis is still unfolding, its impact on energy markets and the broader economy is expected to be significant.

The report highlighted that stronger political leadership, improved cross-sector coordination, and a strategic focus on countries and communities most at risk of being left behind remain cross-cutting priorities in the lead-up to 2030.

It also stressed that clear policy signals and sustained implementation are essential to diversifying the national energy mix, expanding renewable energy, reducing dependence on fossil fuel imports, and strengthening macroeconomic resilience against global supply chain disruptions.

"We have seen encouraging progress in expanding access to affordable, reliable and clean energy in recent years," said Li Junhua, UN under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs.

"However, this year's report shows that millions of people still lack access, making clear that progress is not keeping pace with the ambition of Sustainable Development Goal 7, and that disparities across countries remain significant," Li said, adding that 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. We cannot afford complacency. The time to act with greater urgency and ambition is now," Li said.

/IANS