The Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions Network seeks to make the water and energy industries carbon neutral, and show that sustainable natural resource management benefits both companies and the environment.
It will enable cross-sectoral approaches, advocacy and knowledge management to advance SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) and SDG 13 (climate action), as well as address interlinkages with other SDGs.
7 December 2018: The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the public-private hydropower plant Itaipu Binacional have launched the Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions Network, which aims to advance multi-stakeholder efforts towards the sustainable use and management of water and energy resources so that more people have access to safe drinking water and clean energy.
The Network aims to strengthen stakeholder cooperation on water and energy infrastructure to mitigate climate change. It will also enable cross-sectoral approaches, advocacy and knowledge management to advance SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) and SDG 13 (climate action), as well as address interlinkages with other SDGs, to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Climate action and sustainable development are the two sides of the same coin.
The Network, which was launched on the sidelines of the Katowice Climate Change Conference, convening in Poland from 2-14 December, also seeks to make the water and energy industries carbon neutral, and show that sustainable natural resource management benefits both companies and the environment.
Speaking at the launch event, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa said that “climate action and sustainable development are the two sides of the same coin” and that the entire supply chain of water/energy infrastructure must be carbon neutral.
Network partners will leverage their skills, share best practices and quality data on water-energy interlinkages and strengthen capacity building with a focus on the planning, designing, implementing and monitoring of sustainable policies and business models.
The Itaipu Binacional hydropower plant spans both Brazil and Paraguay. [UN Press Release] [Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions Network Website] [Itaipu Binacional Press Release]