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Demonstrating powerful early momentum from governments, private sector companies and civil society organisations to achieve Sustainable Energy for All by 2030, more than one hundred commitments and actions have been already mobilized for the cause, informed United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Speaking at the Rio+20 U.N. development conference in Brazil, Ban Ki-moon informed that more than 50 governments have launched new energy strategies, while private investors have pledged more than $50 billion to help carry out his goal to double the share of global renewable energy and the rate of energy efficiency improvement by 2030.
“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. The ‘Sustainable Energy For All’ initiative was launched by the Secretary-General in September 2011.
Meanwhile, in response to Ban’s initiative, the World Bank Group announced that it will boost efforts to expand energy access, while also increasing support for renewable energy and energy efficiency in developing countries.
As part of its effort to support the Sustainable Energy for All initiative, the Bank Group seeks to double leveraging of its energy lending, emphasizing low-carbon energy, to $16 billion a year. According to Mahmoud Mohieldin, World Bank Managing Director, they are already supporting energy access initiatives in 60 countries around the globe and plans are to scale up initiatives to provide electricity, clean household fuels and improved cookstoves in selected countries, while also seeking increased financing to implement them.
“Providing access to electricity to the world’s 1.3 billion people who are without it, and clean household fuels to the 2.7 billion without them, is a priority for the World Bank Group. At the same time, we will promote energy efficiency practices and facilitate efforts by countries to shift to cleaner energy sources,” Mohieldin said.
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