April 2012: During the Roundtable Discussion between representatives of civil society organizations and members of the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Group on Sustainable Energy for All, participants exchanged ideas and views on how to ensure the effectiveness and success of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative, including the role of civil society.

Held on 23 March 2012 in New York, US, the roundtable was facilitated and organized by the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS), in cooperation with the Executive Office of the Secretary-General and the UN Foundation. It provided an opportunity for civil society to engage with members of the High-level Group and provide input to ongoing efforts.

During the discussions, members of the High-level Group outlined that the initiative is intended as an enabling multi-stakeholder platform for action in support of energy access, energy efficiency and renewables. They urged civil society to contribute to the initiative by, inter alia: piloting and implementing energy access programmes “on the ground;” piloting social enterprises for energy for the poor; exchanging lessons learned and disseminating best practices; undertaking advocacy and policy campaigns; and promoting accountability and public education.

Civil society representatives called for: strengthening the roles of civil society, the public sector and those without energy access, including in policy formation; promoting energy sources that are renewable, locally appropriate, and take account of social and environmental safeguards; combining energy efficiency measures with measures to reduce consumption by the wealthy; integrating energy and equity in the initiative, particularly with regard to the gender dimension; and raising sufficient financial resources for energy access. [Event Report]