Countries
Contributing to UN's Sustainable Development Goals
As a global energy company, strategically focused on scaling renewable energy solutions, we believe that we can be instrumental in driving progress toward achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Given our history, expertise and ambitions to grow only within renewables, we are well positioned to drive sustainable development through our core business. The SDGs illustrate what a sustainable future looks like and outline our opportunities to do more — and to do better — in order to make that future happen. They provide us with a framework that can contextualise our efforts and impacts today, and that can help shape our business decisions and practices tomorrow.
Our approach
We recognise that the SDGs are highly interconnected, and that a direct impact on one goal can create indirect impacts on other goals. This interconnectedness creates synergies between SDGs for extending positive impacts, but also creates trade-offs that must be managed to minimise negative impacts. At Statkraft, we strive to extend the positives and minimise the negatives in all business decisions, policies and activities.
SDGs where Statkraft contributes most
Though we have numerous initiatives that can be linked to different SDGs, our positive impacts are naturally concentrated around the goals for Climate Action (SDG 13) and Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), which are in themselves catalysts for many of the remaining goals.
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy:
The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 7 urges to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
We are leading the shift to clean energy that can power every industry, every business, every community, and every home. We are doing so by providing renewable energy to millions of people around the world and using our industry know-how to constantly improve how renewable energy solutions are designed, diversified, managed and scaled. Not only are we relieving society’s dependence on fossil fuels for our diverse energy needs, but we are making renewable alternatives increasingly accessible and affordable for more people, including those in rural communities and disadvantaged regions.
By contributing to SDG 7, we are leveraging key synergies with the goals for Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8) and for Industrial Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9) by creating green jobs. For example, our Allain Duhangan hydropower plant, situated in the mountains of Northern India, has created new jobs and stable incomes for women in the rural community, contributing positively towards the 8.5, 8.8, 9.1 and 9.2 targets. By displacing polluting sources of energy production, and thereby contributing to cleaner air quality and the reduction of pollution-related diseases, we are also leveraging the synergies pertaining to Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG 3).
As we drive progress on SDG 7, we are aware that establishing and scaling energy infrastructure, if managed improperly, may negatively impact the goals of Life on Land (SDG 15). We always seek to reduce these negative trade-offs. For example, where hydropower operations have impacted river ecosystems in Norway, we have successfully taken measures to strengthen salmon populations, contributing towards the 15.1 and 15.5 targets.
SDG 13: Climate Action
The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 13 urges to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
To keep our planet’s temperatures below breaking point, we see renewables not as a part of the solution, but as the energy solution. We contribute directly to climate change mitigation by displacing fossil fuels whilst meeting growing energy demand, and by helping to reduce floods and droughts with hydropower reservoirs and regulated river basins. Contributing to SDG 13 generates synergies with all 16 remaining goals, as the survival and well-being of all societies, economies and ecosystems depend on the state of the climate.
We recognise that climate change mitigation may unfairly burden developing countries that may lack adequate resources, technology and expertise to make the necessary transitions to low-carbon energy systems. Leveraging Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17) is therefore important to help spread the access to Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7) - and ultimately work towards climate change mitigation. For example, we are contributing our expertise to the International Centre for Hydropower (ICH) to advance hydropower innovations and their implementations around the world, contributing positively towards the 17.6 and 17.7 targets.