29 September 2015
High-level SE4All Event Discusses Financing for Sustainable Energy
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The Secretary-General's Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) Initiative convened a high-level event at the margins of the UN Summit on Sustainable Development to discuss the challenges and opportunities in financing the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 on ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Rachel Kyte (right), CEO designate, SE4All, giving a present to Kandeh Yumkella (left), former Special Representative and CEO, SE4All25 September 2015: The Secretary-General’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) Initiative convened a high-level event at the margins of the UN Sustainable Development Summit to discuss the challenges and opportunities in financing the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 on ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Among the speakers opening the event, which focused on the theme ‘Implementing Sustainable Development Goal 7: Financing Sustainable Energy for All,’ Kathy Calvin, President and Chief Executive Officer, UN Foundation, noted that the SE4All initiative is a cutting edge model for progress over the next 15 years. Rachel Kyte, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for SE4All and CEO designate, encouraged focusing on implementation, underscoring that solutions must be found for the energy dilemma, especially given the importance of energy to achieving many of the SDGs. She highlighted that the need for tripling annual investments to close energy gaps will require new commitments by all stakeholders.

Setting the scene for a discussion by panelists, Vivien Foster, Lead Economist, the World Bank, answered the question of whether the world was accelerating fast enough to escape the gravitational pull of energy poverty. She based her discussion on the results of the Global Tracking Framework (GTF) report, concluding that despite acceleration, “we are not moving fast enough to end energy poverty by 2030.” Mohinder Gulati, Chief Operating Officer, SE4All, further introduced the GTF report, which provides an update on how fast the world moved toward sustainable energy goals between 2010 and 2012.

Eight panelists from a range of private, public and non-governmental organizations, moderated by Chad Holliday, Chair of the Board, Royal Dutch Shell, then discussed next steps and how to take the results of the GTF report forward. The participants discussed, inter alia: the dual problems of improving energy efficiency in the developed world and energy access in the developing world; the importance of de-risking investments and helping countries with reform in order to improve the availability of bankable projects; the urgency of bringing women into the energy access agenda; the importance of focusing on cook stoves; and tracking gender disaggregated data with regard to monitoring implementation.

Panelists also addressed the importance of public public-private partnerships and how to appeal to the private sector, especially with regard to de-risking investments, as well as the difficulty of bringing capital into countries where there are greater risks. Participants also underscored the importance and difficulty of financing small scale investments that will cover the “last mile” with regard to energy access and efficiency. [IISD RS Coverage of Implementing Sustainable Development Goal 7: Financing Sustainable Energy for All]


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