SEforALL provides “strong global framework” for energy SDG – Ban Ki-moon

New York, 16 Sept 2015 - The Sustainable Energy for All initiative (SEforALL) provides a strong global framework for implementing the new Sustainable Development Goal on energy (SDG7), Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has told UN Member States.

Briefing diplomats on recent developments, including the naming of World Bank Vice President Rachel Kyte to succeed Kandeh Yumkella as his Special Representative and CEO of SEforALL from next January, Mr Ban said a firm foundation was in place to support implementation of SDG7: “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.”

This includes SEforALL’s mobilization of thousands of partners across the public and private sectors and civil society, with a far-reaching network of hubs in existing institutions; its preparation of Country Action Agendas and Investment Prospectuses in more than 30 developing nations; its rallying of financial commitments that already have the power to halve energy poverty by 2030; its presentation of solutions to mobilize a further $120 billion in investment every year; the Global Energy Efficiency Accelerator Platform to drive solutions for the Lima-Paris Action Agenda and COP21; and the Global Tracking Framework to monitor progress against energy targets.

“The Sustainable Energy for All initiative stands ready to support the achievement of SDG7… It provides a strong global framework for implementation,” said Mr Ban, sitting alongside both Ms Kyte and Mr Yumkella as well as Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson.

“We have built a firm foundation for supporting the implementation of SDG7. But we can, and must, do more.”

The Secretary-General said that to fully realize the power of SEforALL, it needs a solid long-term institutional arrangement. The initiative will, therefore, be spearheaded by a new international not-for-profit organization, the Sustainable Energy for All Partnership, which will work closely with the United Nations to expand the global energy movement.

“In the coming months and years, the United Nations will work closely with the Sustainable Energy for All Partnership so it may grow and be as effective as we need it to be,” Mr Ban said, noting that he and World Bank President Jim Kim will continue to co-chair the SEforALL Advisory Board.

Mr Eliasson said the SEforALL Partnership’s strong ties with the United Nations would also be maintained through a relationship agreement, and by the fact that as CEO of the Partnership, Ms Kyte will also hold the position of Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All.

“I feel supremely confident in the leadership transition from Kandeh’s dynamic strong leadership in the creation of this initiative, driving it forward, to Rachel Kyte now taking over,” he said. Ms Kyte stressed the importance of energy not only as a resource in itself, but as the key to many other areas of sustainable development. “If we are successful over the next decade or more in realizing the ambition in SDG7, we will be successful in realizing the ambitions in many more of the goals, not least of which will be SDG 13 [climate action],” she said.

“This agenda is firmly rooted in the ability of a woman to seek medical care in a hospital, knowing that the lights won’t go out. This is an agenda about being able to turn the irrigation pump on for the small farmer in a desertified part of the developing world. This is about being able to put the light on, do the homework, graduate, and go on and do more, and contribute back.”

Former CEO and Special Representative Kandeh Yumkella, who stepped down at the end of July to return to his home country of Sierra Leone, said that if the world wants transformative change on energy, it will need major financing and deployment of technologies. “To do that, we will need a new way of working with the private sector – not the philanthropic side of the private sector, but in fact the core investment part of the private sector,” Mr. Yumkella said. “And that is what we’ve developed under the Sustainable Energy for All initiative.” 

To watch a video of the full briefing please use the player below

Photo credit: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe