20 June 2016
SE4All Advisory Board Endorses ‘Going Further, Faster’ Strategy
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To ensure universal access to modern energy services, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency, and double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix - these are the 2030 goals of the UN's Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) initiative.

In order to get there, the SE4All Advisory Board has endorsed the Strategic Framework for Results 2016-2021: ‘Going Further, Faster.'

SE4ALL16 June 2016: The 2030 goals of the UN’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) initiative are to ensure universal access to modern energy services, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency, and double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. In order to achieve these goals, the SE4All Advisory Board has endorsed the Strategic Framework for Results 2016-2021: ‘Going Further, Faster.’

At the meeting, held in Brussels, Belgium, on 15-16 June, Advisory Board Co-Chairs UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim highlighted the role SE4All can play in achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement, as well as many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including by unlocking climate and clean energy finance. According to Ban, “Affordable, clean energy is the golden thread that links economic growth, increased social equity and a healthy environment.”

Calling for no one to be left behind, SE4All CEO Rachel Kyte underlined the importance of forging partnerships and mobilizing finance – key tenets of the new strategy. According to SE4All, the five-year strategy is a “turning point” for the initiative, shifting it from an advocacy role ahead of the adoption of the SDGs and the Paris Agreement, to one focused on implementation.

Advisory Board Member and Director General of the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Yong Li welcomed the strategic shift to an “action-oriented platform to support the implementation of SDG 7” (Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all), noting the close links between SDG 7 and SDG 9 (Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation). He offered UNIDO’s technical and policy expertise to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency in collaboration with SE4All.

The ‘Going Further, Faster’ strategy aims for, inter alia: the use of “heat maps” to direct resources where they can have the most impact; the tripling of current investment flows; more grid connections as well as decentralized solutions; promotion of energy efficiency as the “first fuel”; celebration of success stories; the exchange of ideas, data, evidence and best practice; and a people-centered approach. The full strategy document is set to be presented at the Business and Climate Summit on 28 June 2016, in London, UK.

The SE4All Advisory Board includes high-level representatives from civil society, national governments, intergovernmental organizations and non-profit organizations. The meeting coincided EU Sustainable Energy Week, which highlighted energy-saving initiatives and the generation of power from clean, secure, efficient and renewable sources. [SE4All Press Release] [UNIDO Press Release] [UN Secretary-General Remarks] [SE4All Advisory Board Members] [IISD RS Story on SE4All Plans for Implementing SDG 7]


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