The Norwegian government last week launched a global initiative to finance access to renewable energy, energy efficiency and low carbon development in developing countries.
The launch took place during a conference organized by the International Energy Agency and attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. The conference’s main goal was to discuss the role of clean, alternative energy to fight poverty.
“Ending energy poverty should be part of the solution to climate change, not part of the problem. WWF urges Norway, and other countries, to keep their focus on renewables, the energy of the future – not on the dirty fossil fuels of the past” said Rasmus Hansson, CEO of WWF-Norway.
“We need energy not only to be universal, [we] need it to be clean – to be sustainable as well. We cannot continue to burn our way to prosperity. The only way to minimize the risks of dangerous climate change is by ensuring that energy is sustainable”, said Mr. Ban.
The UN has set a goal of universal energy access by 2030 and to achieve that it believes it is necessary to depart from the current systems of energy production. IEA added that financing universal access to modern energy services would cost only about three per cent of total global investments in energy.
Last month the UN launched the Sustainable Energy for All initiative to work towards access to modern energy services, energy efficiency and alternative energy.
“WWF’s Energy Report shows that we can meet all of the world’s energy needs with 100% renewable energy. We think this is a great focus for 2012″, said Samantha Smith, leader for WWF’s global climate and energy work.
Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.
