18 June 2014: The Asian Development Bank (ADB), the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) have launched the Asia-Pacific Regional Hub of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative. The Hub will be hosted at the ADB.

The Hub aims to mobilize investment and clean energy solutions in a region where 600 million people lack access to electricity and 1.8 billion people rely on traditional cook fuels like charcoal and firewood.

The launch took place alongside the regional launch of the SE4ALL Decade at the 9th Asia Clean Energy Forum, held in Manila, the Philippines, from 16-20 June 2014. Speaking at the event, Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre, underlined the importance of universal energy access, stressing it implies “providing energy for schools, health clinics, small businesses and other productive services that improve lives,” particularly the lives of the poor.

The Hub will build on the existing energy programmes of the ADB, UNDP and UNESCAP to target energy poverty through sustainable, low-energy technologies by helping countries to conduct rapid assessments, hold constructive dialogue on energy policy, catalyze private investment, and mobilize bilateral and global funds for clean energy development.

SE4ALL has three regional hubs. The African Development Bank (AfDB) hosts the African hub and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) hosts the Latin American hub. [UNDP Press Release] [UNESCAP Press Release] [ADB Press Release] [IISD RS Story on SE4ALL Africa Hub] [IISD RS Story on Africa’s Decade of SE4ALL] [IISD RS Story on Pacific Decade of SE4ALL]