28 April 2010: The report of the Secretary-General’s Adivsory Group on Energy and Climate Change was launched on 28 April 2010. According to the report, would be possible to provide universal access to modern energy services by 2030 without significantly increasing greenhouse gas emissions, by scaling up renewable energy and other low-emission technologies.
The report indicates that achieving energy efficiency by 2030 would require annual investments of US$30 billion to US$35 billion for low-income countries and US$140 billion to US$170 billion for middle-income countries. The report also calls for a 40 per cent reduction, or 2.5% annually, in global energy intensity by 2030, which is nearly double the historic rate.
The Advisory Group was established in 2009 and comprised 20 business leaders, academics and representatives of the UN and civil society. At the launch of the report, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted the need to: scale up renewable energy and other low- emissions technologies; invest in energy efficiency; create a predictable, long-term policy environment for investment; increase private and public spending on research and development; and increase funding for deploying green energy technologies.
Kandeh K. Yumkella, Director-General of the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), chaired the Advisory Group, and noted at the report’s launch that incentives need to be created for a transformation to a “new industrial revolution.” He emphasized the need for greater energy efficiency to ensure that developed countries do not solely extract energy from poor nations, but that they also ensure that developing countries’ energy needs are met to ensure global security. [Press Conference] [UN News Centre Report] [UN Secretary-General’s comments] [Climate Change Policy & Practice post regarding Advisory Group] [Climate Change Policy & Practice post regarding launch of Advisory Group]