Launching the U.N. Decade of Sustainable Energy for All, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Thursday hailed modern energy services as the source of profound and life-changing opportunities, and urged generating the innovative ideas and vital partnerships to wholly transform the global energy landscape.
"We are here because we understand that sustainable energy is central to the post-2015 sustainable development agenda," Ban told the first annual Sustainable Energy for All Forum, which opened Wednesday in New York, aiming to generate momentum for the U.N. chief's eponymous 2011 initiative that brings together governments, civil society, and business to make sustainable energy for all a reality by 2030.
The forum, which sets the stage for the launch of the U.N. Decade (2014-2024), was also addressed by World Bank President Jim Yong Kim (by video) and John Ashe, president of the U.N. General Assembly, which designated the decade as a vehicle to increase advocacy and action.
"The Sustainable Energy for All initiative is maturing and bearing fruit - thanks to you," Ban told the forum, noting that commitments worth many billions of dollars have been pledged and delivered.
"From NGOs to multilateral development banks, we are working together for a common goal. Our efforts so far show that these objectives are realistic. Our focus now must be to achieve them," Ban said.