UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on governments, business and the civil sector to support his “Sustainable Energy For All” initiative, which includes a goal of doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030.
In his keynote address to the World Future Energy Summit, which acts as the global launch of 2012 as the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All, the Secretary-General said this is the right time for the initiative.
“Across the world we see momentum building for concrete action that reduces energy poverty, catalyzes sustainable economic growth, and mitigates the risks of climate change. Achieving sustainable energy for all is both feasible and necessary. My Initiative will help us meet these objectives simultaneously. It can be a triple win for all.”
The triple-win he refers to is in relation to three complimentary objectives, all to be achieved by 2030. In addition to a doubling of renewable energy, Sustainable Energy For All includes goals of ensuring universal access to modern energy services and doubling the rate of improvement of energy efficiency.
Globally, 20 percent of people lack access to modern electricity and 40 percent rely on wood, coal, charcoal or animal dung for cooking and heating – contributing to health problems and rapidly increasing emissions. While reliable access to electricity is much higher in developing countries, the problem is a substantial waste of energy; which also contributes to the same sorts of issues given so much electricity is generated via coal-fired power stations and other fossil fuel based facilities.
As the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June approaches, the Secretary-General will officially launch the Action Agenda, publicizing the commitments made by all stakeholders to the Initiative occurring up until that point.
As part of the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative, the United Nations Foundation has also launched a new global Energy Access Practitioner Network, which will have practitioners from the energy sector working on more effective delivery of energy services and solutions in developing countries.
