Global Campaign for Universal Energy Access
The Challenge and the Goal
Access to clean and affordable modern energy is critical to fostering
lasting social and economic development and to achieving the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). Worldwide, some 2.7 billion people rely on
traditional biomass for cooking and h eating, and 1.4 billion have no
access to electricity, with one billion more having only access to
unreliable electricity networks.
The lack of modern energy services stifles income-generating activities
and hampers the provision of basic services such as health care and
education. In addition, smoke from polluting and inefficient cooking,
lighting, and heating devices kills nearly two million women and young
children prematurely a year and causes a range of chronic illnesses and
other health impacts. Black carbon emissions from these devices worsen
global climate change, and foraging for fuel contributes to deforestation.
In response, the Secretary-General’s Advisory Group on Energy and
Climate Change – composed of global business leaders and heads of UN
agencies – has called on the United Nations and its member countries to
commit themselves to ensuring universal access to modern energy
services by 2030. UN-Energy (www.un-energy.org) – a collaboration of
20 UN agencies – will lead the effort.
“Expanding access
to affordable,
clean energy is
critical for realizing
the MDGs and
enabling sustainable
development.”
-Ban Ki-moonSecretary-General of the
United Nations
PHOTO: Foundation Rural Energy Services
PHOTO: GTZ
PHOTO: The Energy and Resources Institute
The UN Global Campaign for Universal Energy Access will engage governments, the private sector, and civil society toward the goal of universal energy access by 2030. The campaign will utilize the UN designated Year of Sustainable Energy for All in 2012 to work towards the removal of barriers to the effective delivery of energy services by promoting the development of new technologies and innovative financial and business models. It will also identify and disseminate best practices in this sector and foster strategic partnerships to promote energy access.
PHOTO: Stiftung Solarenergie - Solar Energy Foundation PHOTO: SNVPHOTO: UN
PHOTO: Solar Electric Light FundPHOTO: blueEnergy PHOTO: The Energy and Resources Institute
To promote the deployment of a wide range of modern energy services, the campaign will focus on activities in a range of areas including:
Electrification Develop a new Partnership for Energy Access to encourage renewable and low-carbon technologies that can be deployed at scale to provide convenient and affordable energy through grid extension, the creation of mini-grids, and off-grid household systems.
Clean Cooking Solutions Lead the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves in addressing key market barriers and fostering a thriving global cookstove industry, with a goal of 100 million households adopting clean and safe household cooking solutions by 2020.
Bioenergy Advance environmentally sustainable biomass solutions to provide energy from the land and support economic development.
Efficiency Improve efficiency in energy generation, transmission, and end-use technologies to reduce costs and expand the availability of modern energy services.
WHY ENERGY MATTERSEnergy Lifts People From Poverty:
Energy is essential to economic development and to meeting the Mil lennium Development Goals, yet 1.4 Bil l ion people lack access to electricity and three bil l ion people do not have access to clean cooking fuels or stoves.
Clean Energy Saves Lives:
Two mil l ion women and children, four per minute, die prematurely every year due to i l lnesses caused by indoor air pollution.
Energy is the biggest opportunity to address climate change:
Energy accounts for 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions.