8 November 2011: The US rock band Linkin Park has agreed to assist in mobilizing support for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative, making use of the band’s social media presence and public profile.

Linkin Park previously collaborated with the UN in 2010 to support relief efforts following the earthquake in Haiti. At the time, an online video urging support for victims went from having been viewed around 6,000 times before Linkin Park’s involvement, to over nine million views after the band integrated its “Not Alone” song into the video and posted it on its social networking sites. Co-lead vocalist of the band, Mike Shinoda, said, “We look forward to working with our fans worldwide to support sustainable energy projects that are critical to saving lives, improving livelihoods, and protecting the environment.”

SE4ALL was launched by Secretary-General Ban ahead of the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All (2012) and the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20). Currently, 1.4 billion people lack access to modern energy services and a further 1 billion lack reliable electricity. The Initiative has three interlinked goals revolving around overarching target of achieving Sustainable Energy for All by 2030. These objectives are: ensuring universal access to modern energy services; doubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. [Sustainable Energy for All Initiative Press Release] [UN Press Release, including video of press conference with Linkin Park]