18 June 2012: Numerous new commitments to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative have been made by governments, private sector and civil society at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).

Specifically, these commitments include: a Ghanaian plan to develop a national energy action plan to support capacity development and innovative financing; a pledge by Barbados to increase its renewable energy use to 29% of all energy consumption by 2029; the European Commission’s “Energizing Development” initiative, which will provide over 500 million people with access to sustainable energy services by 2030, and create a Technical Assistance facility; UN Foundation work facilitating civil society collaboration on energy service delivery and electrification via the Energy Access Practitioner Network; as well as GDF Suez, d.Light Design commitments on increasing energy efficiency, renewable energy capacity and providing solar lamps; and rock band Linkin Park’s launch of its “Power the World” campaign.

Charles Holliday, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Bank of America and Co-Chair of the High-level Group on SE4ALL, said “These commitments demonstrate that we can make tremendous progress when all key stakeholders – developed and developing countries, private companies and civil society groups – work together in common cause for the common good.”

The SE4LL Initiative aims to achieve sustainable energy for all by 2030 through: ensuring universal access to modern energy services, doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency, and doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. [SE4ALL Press Release]