24 July 2014: The Scottish government hosted the European launch of the UN Decade of Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL), which is taking place from 2014-2024. The event follows the global launch of the Decade, which took place in New York, US, on 5 June, during the first SE4ALL Forum.
The European launch of the Decade, which took place on 24 July 2014, in Glasgow, Scotland, coincided with the opening of the XX Commonwealth Games. Hosted in partnership with SE4ALL Global Facilitation Team and the Commonwealth Games Business Conference, the event brought together representatives from various stakeholder groups.
The launch focused on the theme of the Decade’s first two years: energy access for women and children’s health, and economic empowerment. Themes underscored during the event included: energy access for economic development; peace and security; and achieving the three SE4ALL goals on energy access, energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Describing the interlinkages among energy, equity and development, and highlighting the first theme of the Decade, Kandeh Yumkella, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for SE4ALL, noted that in most Commonwealth countries, in particular Africa and South Asia, “energy is a woman’s issue” that can “mean the difference between safety and fear, freedom and servitude, and even life and death.”
The UN Decade of SE4ALL was first declared by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in December 2012. Kandeh Yumkella, Director-General, UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and Chair of UN-Energy, was appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the SE4ALL Special Representative and CEO.
The SE4ALL initiative, launched by the UN Secretary-General in September 2011, aims to support the world in moving towards three targets: providing universal access to modern energy; doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and doubling the share of renewables in the global energy mix. The proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), agreed upon by the UN General Assembly’s Open Working Group (OWG) on SDGs, include a goal on “access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.” [SE4ALL Press Release, 21 July 2014] [SE4ALL Press Release, 24 July 2014] [SE4ALL Website] [UN Press Release on the Launch of the Decade] [IISD RS Coverage of the SE4ALL Forum] [IISD RS Coverage on the 13th Session of the OWG on SDGs] [IISD RS Story on the Launch of UN Decade of Sustainable Energy for All 2014-2024]