Changes from plenary report to adopted text

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 1 on poverty eradication, SDG 7 on ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, SDG 9 on industry and infrastructure, SDG 13 on climate action, and SDG 5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls,

– having regard to Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which has poverty reduction and, in the long term, poverty eradication, as the primary objective of the EU’s development policy, and which requires that the ‘Union shall take account of the objectives of development cooperation in the policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries’,

– having regard to Articles 3(5) and 21 of the Treaty on European Union, outlining the Union’s commitment to a value-based approach to development cooperation to ensure the consistency of its external action, respecting the principles of the UN Charter and fostering the sustainable economic, social and environmental development of developing countries,

– having regard to the joint statement by the Council and the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, Parliament and the Commission of 30 June 2017 on the New European Consensus on Development – ‘Our world, our dignity, our future’,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe, amending and repealing Decision No 466/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU) 2017/1601 and Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 480/2009,

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 4 October 2022 on climate finance in view of the UNFCCC 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh on 6-18 November 2022, of 25 January 2021 on climate and energy diplomacy – delivering on the external dimension of the European Green Deal, and of 28 November 2016 on energy and development,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 11 December 2019 entitled ‘The European Green Deal’ (COM(2019)0640),

– having regard to the Commission proposal of 16 March 2023 for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020 (COM(2023)0160),

– having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1184 of 10 February 2023 supplementing Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council by establishing a Union methodology setting out detailed rules for the production of renewable liquid and gaseous transport fuels of non-biological origin,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 16 March 2023 on the European Hydrogen Bank (COM(2023)0156),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 8 July 2020 entitled ‘A hydrogen strategy for a climate-neutral Europe’ (COM(2020)0301),

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 18 May 2022 entitled ‘EU external energy engagement in a changing world’ (JOIN(2022)0023),

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 1 December 2021 entitled ‘The Global Gateway’ (JOIN(2021)0030),

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 9 March 2020 entitled ‘Towards a comprehensive Strategy with Africa’ (JOIN(2020)0004),

– having regard to the report of 5 January 2023 of the UN Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment entitled ‘Women, girls and the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment’,

– having regard to the new partnership agreement between the European Union and the members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) (the Samoa Agreement), which will enter into force once the European Parliament consents to it and it is ratified by the Parties,

– having regard to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol thereto, to the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the UNFCCC in Paris in December 2015, to the adoption of the Paris Agreement, the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal, and to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report on Climate Change,

– having regard to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s special report of 24 September 2019 on the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climate,

– having regard to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 13 September 2007,

– having regard to the UN Environment Programme’s 2022 Emissions Gap Report, and to its second synthesis report on fossil fuel production (Production Gap Report 2021),

– having regard to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council on 16 June 2011,

– having regard to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and to the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct,

– having regard to the 2018 policy brief of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs entitled ‘Policy Brief #12: Global Progress of SDG7 – Energy and Gender’,

– having regard to the 2022 report by the International Renewable Energy Agency entitled ‘World Energy Transitions Outlook 2022: 1.5 °C Pathway’,

– having regard to the 2023 joint report by the World Bank, the International Energy Agency, the International Renewable Energy Agency, the UN and the World Health Organization entitled ‘Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report, 2023’,

– having regard to the 2021-2027 African Union Green Recovery Action Plan, which provides a comprehensive strategy designed to promote green initiatives, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect the environment and enhance resilience to climate change,

– having regard to the African Leaders Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change and Call to Action of 6 September 2023,

– having regard to the African People’s Climate and Development Declaration 2023,

– having regard to its resolutions of 14 March 2023 on Policy Coherence for Development, of 25 March 2021 on a new EU-Africa Strategy – a partnership for sustainable and inclusive development, of 15 January 2020 on the European Green Deal, of 1 December 2016 on access to energy in developing countries and of 2 February 2012 on EU development cooperation in support of the objective of universal energy access by 2030,

– having regard to the Action Plan on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in External Action 2021–2025 (GAP III),

– having regard to the May 2022 report of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean entitled ‘Energy in Latin America and the Caribbean: access, renewability and efficiency’,

– having regard to the report of the World Commission on Dams of 16 November 2000 entitled ‘A new framework for decision-making’,

– having regard to Rule 54 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Development (A9-0441/2023),

A. whereas energy is at the heart of all SDGs, but The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023 concludes that the world is still not on track to achieve universal energy access; whereas energy is an enabling factor in development, particularly the development of agriculture, business, communication, education, healthcare and transportation, and in the functioning of the state;

B. whereas SDG 7 stipulates the aim to achieve sustainable access to affordable and clean energy by 2030, notably by calling for greater international cooperation to facilitate access to clean and renewable energy research, infrastructure and technology and to promote investment to these ends; whereas it is essential to strengthen diplomatic efforts to foster greater political ambition in order to effectively address and end energy poverty;

C. whereas, according to the UN, as of mid-2023, approximately 733 million people worldwide, 80 % of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa, still do not have access to affordable, reliable, clean, high-quality energy;

E. whereas the lack of access to electricity in urban or peri-urban environments affects the populations of large irregular settlements, as well as forcibly displaced people and refugees; whereas even when there is access to electricity, the quality of services is often poor;

F. whereas access to affordable, reliable, clean, high-quality energy is even more difficult in countries affected by conflicts and natural disasters; whereas even in regions that have better access to energy, such as Asia and the Pacific or Latin America and the Caribbean, there are great inequalities between countries and among populations;

G. whereas the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to take a heavy toll, with high energy prices hitting the most vulnerable the hardest, in particular in developing economies;

H. whereas access to energy is essential for humanitarian and development organisations to deliver efficient humanitarian aid, particularly medical and emergency care;

I. whereas current projections suggest that in 2030, about 660 million people worldwide will not have access to electricity and around one billion will lack access to clean cooking unless appropriate action is taken;

J. whereas better access to affordable and clean energy will unlock sustainable economic growth, attract businesses and entrepreneurship and improve human health, well-being and security;

K. whereas energy poverty, defined as the lack of sustainable, clean and safe energy sources, is, among other things, a gender issue, with women and girls spending, on average, up to 18 hours a week collecting cooking fuels;

L. whereas women are greatly under-represented in the energy sector workforce worldwide, particularly in management roles; whereas engaging women as active agents in renewable energy solutions, in line with the EU’s GAP III, will improve sustainability and increase positive gender outcomes;