“Twice that number – nearly 40 per cent of the world’s population – rely on wood, coal, charcoal or animal waste to cook food, resulting in toxic smoke that causes lung disease and death,” the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the gathering at Rio+20 Conference.
Secretary-General announced more than 100 commitments on sustainable energy – 21 June 2012
Speaking at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday announced that more than one hundred commitments and actions have been already mobilized in support of the UN’s global sustainable energy initiative.
“Achieving sustainable energy for all is not only possible, but necessary – it is the golden thread that connects development, social inclusion and environmental protection,” Secretary-General Ban said at a press conference at Rio+20, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Launched in September 2011, the Sustainable Energy for All initiative brings together governments, businesses and civil society groups in an unprecedented effort to help make the world’s energy systems more accessible, efficient and cleaner. It is designed to catalyze global action in support of three, interlinked and complimentary objectives, all to be achieved by 2030 – ensure universal access to modern energy services, double the global rate of improvement of energy efficiency, and double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
“This initiative is already mobilizing significant action from all sectors of society. Working together, we can provide solutions that drive economic growth, expand equity and reduce the risks of climate change,” Ban, said.
More than 40,000 people, including heads of State and government, parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, business and civil society leaders, are attending Rio+20, between 20-22 June. It seeks to shape new policies to promote global prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection.
“Sustainable Energy for all provides a powerful model for the future,” the UN chief said. “The UN is bringing all key stakeholders to the table to work in common cause for the common good. This initiative shows the power of partnership and ability of the United Nations to spearhead transformational change.”
Among the commitments and actions agreed upon by Governments, Ghana, one of the first countries to partner with the initiative, has developed a national energy action plan to support capacity-development and innovative financing mechanisms. Countries initiating or completing similar assessments include Bangladesh, Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal, Tajikistan, Uruguay and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Brazil, the host country for Rio+20, has committed to investing a further $4.3 billion to achieve universal energy access at a national level by 2014.
Among the commitments and actions agreed upon by private sector corporations, small and medium-scale enterprises, Microsoft has committed to going carbon neutral and will be rolling out an internal carbon fee that will apply to Microsoft’s business operations in over 100 countries. Italian energy company Eni has earmarked approximately $5 billion to achieve its gas flaring and carbon intensity reduction goals; and, the Renault-Nissan Alliance has committed approximately $5 billion to commercialize affordable zero-emission vehicles.
Among the commitments and actions agreed upon by financial institutions, donors and development banks, the Bank of America has set a ten year $50 billion environmental business goal, while the World Bank Group has committed to doubling the leverage of its energy portfolio by mobilizing private, donor and public contributions to World Bank-supported projects, as well as supportive policies to expand energy access, renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Among the commitments and actions agreed upon by non-governmental organizations, artists, academia, and individuals, members of the rock band Linkin Park have launched a campaign urging world leaders at Rio+20 to end energy poverty, while India’s Energy and Resources Institute has committed to expanding lighting services to households in several developing countries, using solar and other clean energy technologies, by 2018. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, along with 40 other professional associations, has pledged to mobilize their two million members worldwide in support of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative.
Since the Sustainable Energy for All initiative’s launch last year, more than 50 Governments from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Small Islands Developing States have engaged with the initiative and are developing energy plans and programmes. The majority are from developing countries that have initiated or completed energy sector assessments and gap analyses, thus laying the groundwork to scale up action in priority areas, undertake strategic reforms where needed, and attract new investments and financial support.
In addition, businesses and investors have committed more than $50 billion to achieve the initiative’s three objectives, and hundreds of actions and commitments are underway in support of the initiative, supported by businesses, donors, entrepreneurs, organizations, artists, and individual volunteers.
In November 2011, Secretary-General Ban announced the members of a high-level group – consisting of 46 members who are global leaders in business, finance, government and civil society – tasked with mobilizing action among governments, the private sector and civil society for the initiative.
Following is the questions and answers of Ban Kin-moon Press conference
SG: Ladies and Gentlemen, muito obrigado.
I wanted to meet the Brazilian press, believing that it would be only fair for the Brazilian people to know how much contribution Brazil has been making to the success of the Rio+20 meeting on sustainable development.
Not only as a host Government, but also as an important member of the United Nations, Brazil has been making a great contribution and [demonstrating] leadership.
I’m very much encouraged and satisfied with the current level of the negotiations process and the hospitality which has been provided through all members of the delegations.
We are going to adopt tomorrow afternoon the outcome document as a result of the negotiations here. I am very much grateful for seminal role that Brazil has been making, and the leadership of President Dilma Rousseff and the whole team. And this is an outcome document containing very broad, but ambitious and practical, packages for sustainable development.
Ensuring the three pillars of our goals: social equity, economic development and environmental sustainability; these are three dimensions which we want to achieve and this outcome document contains many recommendations, good recommendations. What is important at this time is to implement [them].
Now is a time to implement all these recommendations which should be adopted by the world leaders. Twenty years ago, here in Rio, world leaders set us towards sustainable development.
Now much strengthened, after twenty years, the world leaders have committed themselves to put us and our succeeding generation on a much better and stronger, more sustainable path for all prosperity and humanity so that all the people can live [in] dignity, peace and harmony.
I am very committed, as the Secretary-General, to walk together with the Member States to help implement these recommendations to shape the world we want. Muito obrigado.
Q.: Mr. Secretary-General, what will be the next practical and concrete measures regarding those commitments made in this Conference?
SG: Our Member States have agreed to establish universal sustainable development goals, and this should build upon the successes of the Millennium Development Goals. At the same time, we need to accelerate the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals until 2015, which will be succeeded by sustainable development goals. We have to agree on sustainable development goals. An intergovernmental panel is going to be established with the committee of experts. And I’m also going to establish a high-level panel with eminent persons to work together. All this will be discussed in the intergovernmental panel. There are other good recommendations to strengthen…
Q: Have you chosen those persons already?
SG: That has to be decided by the Member States, and for my part I have already appointed three co-chairs; but for the composition of all the eminent [panel] process, I have to discuss later on. After the Rio+20 Summit is over, I will try to announce it.
Q: Different groups from different parts of society talk about failure, what can you say to them? And I just want to add to this question. There are some groups that want to take off their signatures of the [outcome] document, so…
SG: I believe this is a great success for the international community. I firmly believe as the Secretary-General of the United Nations, this is a great success and a good document which can put us all towards greater sustainability and one can be, one can have some different views, but as far as United Nations is concerned. And I am very much grateful for such a visionary leadership of President Dilma Rousseff and the whole team, which has been leading these negotiations to such a great success.
We need to be very much grateful to the Brazilian people and Government. Brazil has an enormous potential in leading this campaign. Brazil has a standing as one of the rising countries, emerging states with a lot of potential. These should be fully utilized, now that Brazilian diplomacy has fully demonstrated their capacity to bring this negotiation towards a successful conclusion.
Thank you very much, muito obrigado.
Q: Is it as important as 92?
SG: The 1992 Rio Earth Summit has made a great visionary agenda of 21. The world has consumed the resources to prosperity without realizing that our planet Earth is all limited.
We have to be very much conscious of this limit, which our planet Earth has. We have to fully utilize our resources, but at the same time we have to make everything [in a] sustainable way, socially, economically and environmentally.
That is what Member States have agreed on, [in] 26 areas. This is a very good document; this is the vision on which we can build our dreams, our visions and it is important that the Member States are united and work together. And I thank you at this time, all civil society for their contribution. I met the representatives of nine major groups of civil society. They have been making great contributions, and I ask them to continuously engage in this important implementation process.
This is not the end of our journey. This is just the beginning of our journey towards greater sustainability. And I am happy and satisfied with what we have achieved under the leadership of Brazil and [its] people. Thank you very much.