6 June 2016: During the inaugural “agora” meeting on ‘Transforming the World through Sustainable Energy for All: Leaving No One Behind,’ participants highlighted the importance of partnerships, and discussed actions and initiatives to respond to current and emerging challenges of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with an emphasis on sustainable energy and energy systems. The meeting took place in parallel with the first Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI Forum) for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and aimed to contribute both to the STI Forum and to the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).

The Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) and Eko Renewable Energy (EkoRE) organized the Agora in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Honduras.

Opening the meeting on 6 June 2016, at UN Headquarters in New York, US, Her Royal Highness Princess Nisreen El-Hashemite, Executive Director of RASIT, explained that the Agora seeks to enhance partnerships and is action-oriented. She stressed that achieving the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda requires a “we” mentality instead of an “I” mentality.

Hector Alejandro Palma Cerna, Permanent Representative of Honduras, said his country is committed to the issue of renewable energy. Serhan Suzer, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), EkoRE, said different types of technologies are now available for solar, wind and bioenergy, and that solar energy has the potential to “power the entire world.”

Ali Zaidi, US White House, reported that 1.1 billion people on the planet live without access to electricity, and that US$329 billion were invested in clean energy globally in 2015. Talya Ozdemir, a ten-year-old student at Aci Schools, Istanbul, Turkey, representing a World Children’s Vision, called for increasing the voice of children in decision-making processes. She said renewable energies are safe, clean and “owned by everyone,” and underscored that electricity access is needed for education and for providing children with better opportunities.

Per Thöressen, Permanent Mission of Sweden, said his country wants to become the first fossil-free welfare State in the world. He reported that after Sweden introduced a carbon tax, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions decreased by almost a third, and the Swedish economy continued to grow. He added that his country is recycling more than 99% of its household waste. Chantal Line Carpentier, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said developing countries cannot develop quickly if they do not have access to clean and affordable energy. She noted that one-quarter of the world’s GHG emissions is found in the goods and services traded globally.

Nikhil Seth, Executive Director, UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), via video link, called for improving the environmental performance of the energy sector, and business engagement for implementation of the 2030 Agenda. He noted that UNITAR aims to support SDG 7 (Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all) in the coming years. Ben Kallos, New York City Council Member, provided examples of actions taken in New York City on renewable energy and reducing energy use, including the use of geothermal energy in some buildings, and working with children to “green” building rooftops. Kallos reported that there is political interest in increasing wind energy in New York City, including from Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Jake Saper, Emergence Capital, called on decision-makers to work with entrepreneurs, and provided examples of existing technologies, such as Comfy, a mobile app that gives personalized control of comfort utilities in the workplace. Ed Chiles, CEO of The Chiles Group of Restaurants, speaking via video link, and David Randle, Patel College of Global Sustainability, University of South Florida, presented the case of the Anna Maria Island in Florida, which includes a “smart energy district,” energy efficient buildings and the Edible Community Garden concept. They noted that the Chiles Group of Restaurants has developed a model promoting sustainable agriculture on the island, and incentives for sustainable fishing in partnership with the historic Cortez fishing village.

During the closing segment, Her Royal Highness Princess Nisreen El-Hashemite highlighted the importance of the event for SDG 17 on strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development, noting that Goal 17 is necessary in order to meet the other SDGs. [IISD RS Meeting Coverage] [IISD RS Coverage of STI Forum] [RASIT Website] [EkoRE Website]