The association has also highlighted the link between energy lack and global poverty.

Of course, given its bent, the WCA argues coal has to very much be part of that solution.

It says coal is essential to global efforts to achieve universal energy access and alleviate energy poverty as it provides an affordable, readily available and reliable source of grid-based energy.

WCA chief executive Benjamin Sporton said energy poverty was a dire reality, saying there were 1.3 billion people across the globe without access to energy.

“It is a significant challenge we need to address with the adoption of these SDGs,” he said.

“The no-one left behind pledge agreed on when discussing the SDGs is more urgent than ever, especially when tackling energy poverty.

“When 1.3 billion people are still without energy we are not in a position to start sidelining any energy source and we need to take an ambitious approach to implementing the goals.”

In its 2011 World Energy Outlook the International Energy Agency used a definition for energy access of 250 kilowatt hours per capacity of electricity a year in rural areas and 500kWh for urban areas.

That is probably enough for an efficient fridge, a second mobile telephone per household and another appliance such as small television or a computer.

This level of energy access is what the SDGs are calling “universal energy access”, according to the WCA.

The targets do not include energy for business, industry and public services.

“Solar and wind play a significant role in supporting ‘light bulb and cook stove’ solutions with mini micro grids in rural areas,” Sporton said.

“These are important first steps in improving access to energy but they ignore the rapid urbanisation and industrialisation taking place in Africa and Asia where by 2050 the number of people living in cities is expected to grow by more than 2 billion.

“Larger urban populations will demand more resilient and reliable grid-based electricity.”

According to the IEA global coal demand is expected to grow by about 33% through to 2040.

IEA data also shows the demand for coal in South East Asia is expected to grow 4.8% year on year through to 2035.