16 April 2015: During a briefing delivered to UN Member States, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson stressed the critical role energy must play in a new global development agenda. Speaking about the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative, Eliasson illustrated the interconnectedness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the three goals of SE4ALL.

Eliasson explained that SE4ALL will help countries meet the SDGs on climate and energy, aiding them in creating national goals and targets, mobilizing public and private finance and monitoring progress.

Noting that the UN lacks a mandate from the General Assembly to establish a full-fledged entity on energy, he emphasized that a “solid and clear institutional arrangement” would help ensure the success of the SE4ALL initiative post-2015. He reported progress on establishing an international non-profit organization to guide the continued advancement of the sustainable energy agenda.

Eliasson informed members that the SE4ALL Executive Committee had formed a small panel to identify the leadership and location of the non-profit organization, which will work with the UN through a relationship agreement.

SE4ALL, initiated by the UN Secretary-General, aims 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, all by 2030. [UN Press Release] [UN Deputy-Secretary General Remarks] [SE4ALL Website]