Distinguished Participants,Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to thank all of you for the very productive discussion. Please allow me to provide a few concluding remarks.
Distinguished Participants,
Transforming energy pathways is central to delivering on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change. This point is also emphasized in the recently published Global Sustainable Development Report, prepared by an independent group of scientists.
People must be at the heart of such energy transformations. In this 21st century, we simply cannot leave 840 million people in darkness without access to electricity. We cannot leave three billion people without clean cooking facilities.
At the same time, the impacts of energy-related interventions spread far beyond the energy sector. If we take cooking alone, almost 4 million deaths per year are attributed to household air pollution. Women and children are unfairly affected by long-term health problems caused by cooking with unsafe fuels and technologies. Also, by having to carry heavy loads of cooking fuels.
Black carbon emissions from cooking are also contributors to climate pollutants. Their reduction can improve air quality rapidly and help slow the rate of near-term climate change.
Accelerating a transition towards clean cooking technologies will spur progress. Not only on climate action, but across many other sustainable development goals and targets¡ªsuch as:
? poverty eradication,? gender equality,? health,? education,? decent jobs, and? innovation.
Yet, there has been virtually no progress on the SDG 7 target on universal access to clean cooking solutions.
Distinguished Participants,
We at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UNDESA, are fully committed to making clean cooking a reality for all. Let me highlight the following points:
First, we are proud to partner with WHO, UNDP and the World Bank in the creation of a multi-stakeholder Health and Energy Platform of Action. This is aimed at improving the health and livelihoods of the poorest populations through the adoption of clean and sustainable energy. As part of this joint effort, we will support the establishment of a High-Level Coalition of Leaders for Clean Cooking, Energy and Health.
Second, we warmly welcome the Clean Cooking Fund established by the World Bank.
Third, to strengthen coordination and collaboration across the UN system, we will reinforce the secretariat for UN-Energy, building on the UN-Energy Action Plan.
Fourth, we will continue to invest in the SDG 7 Technical Advisory Group in support of the High-Level Political Forum, and the UN Decade on Sustainable Energy for All 2014 to 2024.
Finally, we will continue to promote the synergies between climate action and the broader 2030 Agenda, to scale up ambition and commitment in implementation.
Distinguished Participants
SDG 7 is within reach ¨C if we take immediate action, and if we do so in an integrated manner. We must address relevant interlinkages holistically.
I strongly believe that, by bringing the energy and health sectors together, we can support the achievement of these interconnected goals as well as the climate agenda.
Let us all become part of this global movement.
Thank you.
I would like to thank all of you for the very productive discussion. Please allow me to provide a few concluding remarks.
Distinguished Participants,
Transforming energy pathways is central to delivering on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change. This point is also emphasized in the recently published Global Sustainable Development Report, prepared by an independent group of scientists.
People must be at the heart of such energy transformations. In this 21st century, we simply cannot leave 840 million people in darkness without access to electricity. We cannot leave three billion people without clean cooking facilities.
At the same time, the impacts of energy-related interventions spread far beyond the energy sector. If we take cooking alone, almost 4 million deaths per year are attributed to household air pollution. Women and children are unfairly affected by long-term health problems caused by cooking with unsafe fuels and technologies. Also, by having to carry heavy loads of cooking fuels.
Black carbon emissions from cooking are also contributors to climate pollutants. Their reduction can improve air quality rapidly and help slow the rate of near-term climate change.
Accelerating a transition towards clean cooking technologies will spur progress. Not only on climate action, but across many other sustainable development goals and targets¡ªsuch as:
? poverty eradication,? gender equality,? health,? education,? decent jobs, and? innovation.
Yet, there has been virtually no progress on the SDG 7 target on universal access to clean cooking solutions.
Distinguished Participants,
We at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UNDESA, are fully committed to making clean cooking a reality for all. Let me highlight the following points:
First, we are proud to partner with WHO, UNDP and the World Bank in the creation of a multi-stakeholder Health and Energy Platform of Action. This is aimed at improving the health and livelihoods of the poorest populations through the adoption of clean and sustainable energy. As part of this joint effort, we will support the establishment of a High-Level Coalition of Leaders for Clean Cooking, Energy and Health.
Second, we warmly welcome the Clean Cooking Fund established by the World Bank.
Third, to strengthen coordination and collaboration across the UN system, we will reinforce the secretariat for UN-Energy, building on the UN-Energy Action Plan.
Fourth, we will continue to invest in the SDG 7 Technical Advisory Group in support of the High-Level Political Forum, and the UN Decade on Sustainable Energy for All 2014 to 2024.
Finally, we will continue to promote the synergies between climate action and the broader 2030 Agenda, to scale up ambition and commitment in implementation.
Distinguished Participants
SDG 7 is within reach ¨C if we take immediate action, and if we do so in an integrated manner. We must address relevant interlinkages holistically.
I strongly believe that, by bringing the energy and health sectors together, we can support the achievement of these interconnected goals as well as the climate agenda.
Let us all become part of this global movement.
Thank you.
File date:
Thursday, December 12, 2019