The High-level Group on Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) has developed a “Framework for Action,” which provides guidance on the objectives of the High-level Panel on Sustainable Energy for All in the lead up to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) in June 2012 and beyond, as well as on what all actors can do to contribute to the work of the Panel to move toward sustainable energy for all.
3 February 2012: The UN Secretary-General’s High-level Group on Sustainable Energy for All has prepared a document titled “Sustainable Energy for All: A Framework for Action,” which outlines a pathway for collaborative action on improving energy access and alleviating energy poverty globally using renewable and sustainable sources of energy.
The Framework’s chapters present the document’s core messages, under the titles “A world with sustainable energy for all is achievable; we must all act together to realise this vision – and all will benefit”; “Sustainable Energy for All will mobilize, support and monitor commitments in a set of high-impact areas”; and “All parties are invited to join Sustainable Energy for All with commitments to act.”
The Framework for Action provides guidance on the objectives of the High-level Panel on Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) in the lead up to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) in June 2012 and beyond, as well as on what all actors can do to contribute to the work of the Panel to move toward sustainable energy for all. It stresses that achieving SE4ALL is essential for meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as well as for economic growth and safeguarding the environment, noting that the SE4ALL Initiative aims to bring together the three pillars of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental.
The Framework underscores the need for meaningful action, calling on businesses, governments and civil society both independently, but especially in collaboration with one another via new or revitalized partnerships, to deliver concrete ideas to Rio+20. The Framework identifies the potential for developing and realizing opportunities in: new renewable energy investment plans for developing countries; local and national leadership on improving energy efficiency; and financing for renewables to balance their initially higher costs as compared to conventional energies.
The Secretary-General’s initiative on Sustainable Energy for All aims, by 2030, to achieve universal energy access, double the rate of improvement on energy efficiency, and double the share of renewable energy in the global energy matrix. [Publication: Sustainable Energy for All: A Framework for Action] [SE4ALL Press Release]