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The day was declared by the UN General Assembly to raise awareness and mobilise action for a just and inclusive transition to clean energy Hundreds of millions of people continue to live without an electricity supply and while global efforts to increase access rates through clean energy sources have been successful in certain regions, much of the developing world, especially sub-Saharan Africa, lack basic access. Ahead of the UN’s International Day of Clean Energy on 26 January, the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, supported by UN-Energy hosted an event yesterday (23 January) to mark the forthcoming occasion. It was co-hosted by the Co-Chairs of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Energy (Denmark, Ethiopia, Norway and Pakistan). The International Day of Clean Energy was declared in 2023 by the UN General Assembly (resolution A/77/327) as a call to raise awareness and mobilise action for a just and inclusive transition to clean energy for the benefit of people and the planet. The day (26 January) also marks the founding date of IRENA, a global intergovernmental agency established in 2009 to support countries in their energy transitions, serve as a platform for international cooperation, and provide data and analyses on clean energy technology, innovation, policy, finance and investment. Clean energy a pipe dream for hundreds of millions of Africans Yesterday at the UN in New York, delegates from Denmark, Ethiopia, Norway and Pakistan pointed out that while great renewable energy strides have been made, developing regions and especially Africa continue to lag considerably behind. They pointed out that 685 million people live without electricity, with the majority of them in sub-Saharan Africa. The UN points out that clean energy plays a key role in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the objectives of the Paris Agreement on climate change. Yet, progress on SDG7, including universal access to electricity and clean cooking solutions, a substantial increase of renewable energy, and energy efficiency improvements, remains insufficient. The UN said that as countries worldwide grapple with energy poverty, rising energy demand and the pressing need to rapidly decarbonise their energy systems to address climate emergency, it is more urgent that ever to mobilise action, strengthen international partnerships, unlock finance and boost investments. Investment balancing act for African countries Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the UN, Tesfaye Yilma Sabo, said his government’s plan is to increase access to electricity by a million households a year up to 2027. However, financing to accomplish this is a challenge as the government has to service debt and spend money on “the effects of climate change.” In her address to the UN gathering, Damilola Ogunbiyi, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, Co-Chair of UN Energy and SEforALL CEO, said adopting clean energy is crucial in the fight against climate change. She said while clean energy investment has accelerated since 2020, progress was not happening “equitably.” “There is a need to change demand and supply side flows… to encourage investment in emerging countries,” said Ogunbiyi via a video message. Partnership looks to connect hundreds of millions of Africans to electricity Norway’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Merete Fjeld Brattested, highlighted the joint African Development Bank (AfDB) and World Bank’s partnership – Mission 300 – as a step in the right direction. The partnership aims to provide at least 300 million people in Africa with electricity access by 2030. The World Bank will work to connect 250 million people to electricity through distributed renewable energy systems or the distribution grid while the AfDB will support an additional 50 million people. The Banks will convene an Africa Energy Summit on January 27 and 28 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to advance the ambitious plan. The gathering is set to bring together African heads of state, international partners, philanthropies and private sector leaders to advance Mission 300. The AfDB reported recently that the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) and The Rockefeller Foundation have committed $10 million to create a technical assistance facility supporting electricity projects across 11 African nations. Clean energy investment will pay off, says UN The UN, meanwhile, said about $4.5 trillion a year is needed to be invested in renewable energy until 2030 – including investments in technology and infrastructure – “to allow us to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.” It said that the upfront cost can be daunting for many countries with limited resources and many will need financial and technical support to make the transition. “But investments in renewable energy will pay off. The reduction of pollution and climate impacts alone could save the world up to $4.2 trillion per year by 2030.” |
