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.