United Nations Foundation Welcomes UN General Assembly Declaration of the Decade of Sustainable Energy for All

Washington, D.C. —   January 4, 2013

The United Nations Foundation today commended the United Nations General Assembly for its recent declaration of the Decade of Sustainable Energy for All, 2014-2024. The Decade of Sustainable Energy for All will make access to sustainable energy a continuing priority on the global development agenda.

“Sustainable energy is essential to achieving sustainable development and meeting our goals as a global community,” said United Nations Foundation President Timothy E. Wirth.  “By declaring the Decade of Sustainable Energy for All, the UN General Assembly is ensuring the UN continues its leadership role, keeping energy issues at the forefront of the global development agenda.”

The Decade of Sustainable Energy for All will build on the success and momentum generated over the past year through the initiative led by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sustainable Energy for All, as well as the actions by Member States in 2012 as part of the UN’s International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.

To date, more than 65 countries have opted in to the Sustainable Energy for All initiative and are developing national implementation plans.  Additionally, more than $50 billion was committed to the initiative by a wide range of government and private-sector stakeholders during 2012 in connection with the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development.

“The Decade of Sustainable Energy for All creates a unique opportunity for sustained focus by governments, the private sector, and civil society to ensure that energy-poor families and communities are able to access the services they need sustainably, affordably, and effectively,” said Richenda Van Leeuwen, Executive Director for Energy Access at the UN Foundation.

In 2011, the UN Foundation launched an Energy Access Practitioner Network in support of the Secretary-General’s initiative.  In 2012 the Network saw tremendous growth with its membership growing to more than 900 practitioners working towards universal energy access– one of the three objectives of the Sustainable Energy For All initiative — by scaling up decentralized household and community-level electrification.

To learn more on the UN Foundation’s Energy Access work visit:
http://www.sustainableenergyforall.org/events-outreach/practitioner-network

For more information on the Sustainable Energy for All initiative visit: http://www.sustainableenergyforall.org/

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About The United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by global corporations, foundations, governments, and individuals. For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.

About Sustainable Energy for All
The Secretary-General’s initiative set out three objectives for 2030 that are both ambitious and achievable if the right conditions and investments are put in place:
•    Ensuring universal access to modern energy services;
•    Doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and
•    Doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
For more information, visit www.sustainableenergyforall.org.