January 2015: On 20 December 2013, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) designated 2015 as the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (IYL2015) in order to raise awareness of light science and how light-based technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to challenges related to energy, education, agriculture and health.

Through IYL2015, the UN aims to raise global awareness of light science and its applications, which have revolutionized medicine, opened up international communication via the Internet, and have linked cultural, economic and political aspects of global society. The Year is also expected to draw attention to the 1.4 billion people living without access to electricity. The International Energy Agency (IEA) describes Africa as the center of an energy poverty crisis because nearly two-thirds of its population, or 600 million people, live without electricity. This proportion is expected to increase to about 700 million by 2030, making Africa the region where the greatest number of people lack electricity access. It is estimated that lighting accounts for some 20% of electricity consumption.

IYL2015 is an initiative of a consortium of scientific bodies including the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and is expected to bring together a range of stakeholders, including scientific societies and unions, educational institutions, technology platforms, non-profit organizations and the private sector.

The official launch of IYL2015 will take place on 19-20 January 2015, in Paris, France. [UNESCO Press Release] [IYL2015 Website]