Global leaders push for commitments for clean energy by 2030

Recognising the urgent need for action leaders from the United Nations private sector national and local governments youth and other organisations issued a joint call on Wednesday for countries businesses cities and civil society groups to put forward their Energy Compacts to show how they will achieve the goal of clean affordable energy for all by 2030 SDG 7 and netzero emissions by 2050The Energy Compacts would provide the clearest indication of how countries will ensure that all people have access to clean energy and move toward netzero emissionsThe Compacts will be announced between June and the September UN Highlevel Dialogue on Energy The leaders issued their call in a videoGlobal Champion Ministers from over 30 countries have joined the call for urgent energy action in advance of the Highlevel Dialogue along with senior UN officials climate leaders including the Presidency of the COP26 conference CEOs Mayors and youth activistsThis years dialogue is the best chance for governments businesses and other partners to step up their commitments if the world is to achieve clean affordable energy for all by the 2030 deadline said Liu Zhenmin UN UnderSecretaryGeneral for Economic and Social Affairs and SecretaryGeneral of the DialogueAmbitious and specific Energy Compacts can also help us limit temperature rise to 15 degrees avoiding the worst consequences of climate changeUrgent action is needed as global temperatures are already 12 degrees higher than they were in the late 1800s with climaterelated disasters displacing millions of peopleEnergy use accounts for threequarters of global emissions Nearly 800 million people still lack access to electricity and nearly three billion lack clean cooking fuels causing over a million deaths each year from indoor smoke pollutionMomentum is growing for Energy Compacts which will start to be announced at Ministerial Forums from 2125 June in the leadup to the September summitlevel DialogueSince April national government officials major networks of cities and businesses as well as civil society and youth groups have been participating in an intensive series of planning meetings for their Energy Compact commitmentsFor countries the Compacts will align with enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions and longterm climate goals under the Paris AgreementParticipating in the call to action in addition to UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres and Liu are the CoChairs of the Highlevel Dialogue Achim Steiner Administrator of the UNDP and Damilola Ogunbiyi Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral and CEO for Sustainable Energy for AllAn energy transition is underway It is our only viable way forward we wont succeed without it said SteinerThe challenge is whether we can make it happen equitably and fast enough It is unacceptable that almost 800 million people in the world still lack access to electricity The transition must ensure that there is universal access to clean energy Energy Compacts provide world leaders from governments businesses and civil society with a timely opportunity to formalize this commitment and accelerate action through quantifiable public pledgesWe need bold action in the Energy Compacts to ensure we leave no one behind and that we transition in a just manner to net zero by 2050 said his CoChair Ogunbiyi This is an opportunity of our lifetime to provide universal energy access by exploiting new technologies funding innovations that can create a cleaner and brighter economic futureAmong those adding their voices to the call to action are leading climate officials Patricia Espinosa Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Alok Sharma UK President of the COP26 climate conferenceAlso joining are Francesco Starace CEO of Enel Per Hegennes CEO of the IKEA Foundation Rajiv J Shah President of the Rockefeller Foundation Rohey Malick Lowe Mayor of Banjul Gambia Mohammed Adjei Sowah Mayor of Accra Ghana Dymphna van der Lans CEO of the Clean Cooking Alliance and Jaff Epse Bime Marilyn Bongmo and Tien Pham youth activists from Cameroon and VietnamThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoeverAlso Read Stories beyond the statistics An online Covid19 memorial is helping keep the memory of the deceased alive