14 June 2012: In the second installment of the UN News Centre’s “Seven Issues, Seven Experts” interview series, Timothy Wirth, UN Foundation President and member of the High-Level Group on Sustainable Energy for All, discusses, among other issues, the role of access to energy and sustainable energy supply for poverty eradication, and the need for strategies that favor a low-carbon energy mix.

Wirth calls on the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) to maintain a focus on sustainable energy, energy efficiency and renewable energy as critical elements for economic development.

He explains that access to energy and sustainable energy are the first and second necessary steps towards all development goals and poverty reduction. He also notes that energy efficiency and economic growth based on clean energy sources are important parts of strategies towards a lower carbon mix in long-term energy supplies.

With regard to regulation, Wirth suggests that governments provide the right structure to encourage lower carbon fuels, such as a cap and trade system or minimum renewable requirements for utilities. On possible conflicts between sustainable energy regulation and economic growth, he notes that in many countries renewable energies have supported a more rapid development than growth strategies depending entirely on fossil fuels.

He also describes the priorities of the High-level Group on Sustainable Energy for All, which focuses on developing a mix of energy resources that: allows access to energy for the poor; doubles the rate of energy efficiency around the world; and doubles the amount of renewable energy used in the world’s energy systems.

“Seven Issues, Seven Experts” will address each of the key areas identified by the UN ahead of Rio+20 as needing urgent attention: creation of jobs, access to energy, building sustainable cities, ensuring food security and sustainable agriculture, access to water, ocean management and disaster readiness. [UN News Centre Interview – Energy]