This project was done within the scope of the module "GEO 878 Geovisualization" at the Departement of Geography of the University of Zurich. The aim was to define a research question regarding one or more of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and visualize the work on this website. The United Nations defined a total of 17 SDGs to guide countries around the globe in a more sustainable future by the year 2030 (United Nations, 2021). On a global scale topics, such as no poverty, climate action or gender equality, but also clean water and energy are tackled (for further information see
UN Sustainable Development Goals).
This project focuses on the following three Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2021):
SDG 7 concentrates on the access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for everybody, whereas SDG 12 focuses on sustainable consumption and production, which include the electricity sector. Furthermore, SDG 13 urges to take immediate action to combat climate change and its impacts on a global scale (United Nations, 2021).
In the next section we provide more theoretical background about the topic regarding global electricity consumption and production. In the tab "Project" there is a map, which can be used interactively to explore the topic, whereas in the tab "Data" there is an overview of the data that was used in this project. In the last tab "Team" the team shortly introduces itself and the contact details are provided.
To reach the targets set in the renewables directive and to transform the European and global energy system to a low-carbon economy, large investments in renewable electricity production are needed (Jacobsson and Bergek, 2011). To meet climate targets, it is essential to have an overview of the distribution of the different production methods (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 2009). The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) regulate access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all (United Nations, 2021). The twelfth SDG defines sustainable production and consumption of all products (United Nations, 2021). This confirms the Copenhagen climate agreement in a more direct treaty. More generally, the 13th SDG is about climate protection (United Nations, 2021). To achieve this, in addition to the renewable production of electricity, reduced consumption is also necessary. Our map shows the progress of each of the three SNGs and the Copenhagen climate agreement in the electricity consumption and production.