During the event, Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank, made clear the message that energy is the golden thread that connects economic growth, increased social equity, and an environment that allows the world to thrive. Access to sustainable energy is a necessary precondition to achieving many development goals that extend far beyond the energy sector—eradicating poverty, increasing food production, providing clean water, improving public health, enhancing education, creating economic opportunity, and empowering women.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the global Sustainable Energy for All Initiative (SE4ALL) to catalyze major new investments to accelerate the transformation of the world’s energy systems, pursue the elimination of energy poverty, and enhance prosperity, and to mobilize all stakeholders to take concrete action toward three critical objectives to be achieved by 2030: (I) ensuring universal access to modern energy services; (II) doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and (III) doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
The SE4ALL Initiative attempt to “change the game”, introducing new public-private partnerships built from constructive dialogue on policy, investment, and market development by governments, businesses, and civil society. In this regard, the Africa hub’s mission is to coordinate and facilitate the development and implementation of the SE4ALL Initiative on the African continent. The Hub will promote African ownership, inclusiveness and a comprehensive approach to the Initiative’s implementation.
The Club de Madrid has been working on access to energy issues since 2006, and this initiative is very much linked to the message that Club de Madrid Members have been disseminating – in the words of Pres. Obasanjo, “ there are three things that are needed for development: energy, energy, energy. If we need to have access to energy for Africa, this should be Sustainable Energy”.
