Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a “clean energy revolution” to help the estimated three billion people that lack modern power and urged countries to recognize the impact that energy security has on all aspects of development. “Three billion people rely on charcoal or wood for cooking and heating. They are energy-poor. And energy poverty translates into grinding, dehumanizing poverty,” he told participants at an energy conference in Oslo, Norway. “We need energy not only to be universal, [we] need it to be clean – to be sustainable as well. We cannot continue to burn our way to prosperity. The only way to minimize the risks of dangerous climate change is by ensuring that energy is sustainable.” The Secretary-General stressed that sustainable energy is critical for all aspects of human progress and said a departure from existing practices is needed to achieve the goal of universal energy access by 2030.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), financing universal access to modern energy services would cost only about three per cent of total global investments in energy.“Energy poverty is a threat to the achievement all of the MDGs. It holds back economic growth and job creation. We require a radical departure from current practices and existing realities.
That is why we are calling for practical and large-scale action,” he said. To achieve the universal energy access goal, Mr. Ban launched the Sustainable Energy for All initiative last month, which has three global targets: providing universal access to modern energy services, doubling energy efficiency, and doubling the share of renewable energy in the world’s energy supply. The initiative will have input from the private, government and civil society sectors to develop its agenda for the next two decades. Participants at the “Energy for all – financing access for the poor” conference explored innovative financing mechanisms that can help countries and regions implement their energy plans. In addition to organizing the conference, Norway launched its Energy+ Initiative, which aims to help mobilize private capital and public resources in support of Sustainable Energy for All.
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