RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS: A PATHWAY TO ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 7 IN BRICS + COUNTRIES

Renewable Energy Systems (RES) are increasingly recognized as a critical pathway to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) in BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. Despite rapid economic growth, these nations face significant energy challenges, including energy poverty, fossil fuel dependence, and environmental degradation. This study examines the application of renewable energy systems as a pathway to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 in BRICS+ countries. A scoping review was conducted to gain a comprehensive understanding of the subject, with a search from pertinent articles across various databases and search engines, including Scopus, EBSCO, ABI Inform, IEEE, PubMed, and Science Direct. The findings affirmed that BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) are utilising renewable energy, although Russia is on a slow path to achieving this just energy transition. The findings also indicate that South Africa's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPPP) significantly contributes to diversifying the energy mix by attracting private sector investments in solar, wind, and other renewable sources. However, despite these efforts, South Africa remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels. It was also affirmed that China is rapidly expanding its solar and wind energy capacity and that the nation's leadership in renewable energy investment has significantly reduced its reliance on coal while increasing the availability of clean energy. The findings further affirmed that Brazil's considerable utilisation of biomass and hydroelectric power, which make up 32% and 12% of its energy mix, respectively, illustrates the potential for diversifying energy sources to minimise carbon footprints.