Solar power plant in Mongolia Renewable energy will become the largest source of electricity generation for the first time this year Climate and environment
In a world struggling with climate change, clean energy plays a major role in reducing emissions and helping to solve the problem of access to reliable energy. Today, about 685 million people live without electricity, more than 80 percent of them in sub-Saharan Africa, the UN reminds us on the occasion of International Clean Energy Day, which is celebrated on January 26.
Clean Energy: Key to Development
The relationship between clean energy, socio-economic development and environmental sustainability is critical to addressing the challenges facing vulnerable communities around the world.
Renewable energy is expected to become the world’s largest source of electricity generation for the first time this year, while prices continue to fall rapidly. “As we celebrate International Clean Energy Day, we celebrate this revolution. But we also recognize the challenges ahead,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a message. “There is no doubt that the era of fossil fuels is coming to an end. But governments must create the conditions for it to happen quickly and equitably.”
“An Unprecedented Opportunity”
This, Guterres is convinced, is necessary to avoid the worst of the climate crisis and ensure that everyone has access to clean energy, which will allow millions of people to escape poverty.
According to the UN chief, this year is an unprecedented opportunity for countries to ensure that the goals they set for themselves in the context of addressing climate change are consistent with national energy and development strategies. All countries, as Guterres recalls in his message, are committed to developing new national action plans to address climate change that are consistent with the goal of keeping global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Phasing out fossil fuels
“Countries must develop plans that cover all greenhouse gases and all sectors, include an equitable fossil fuel phase-out framework, and contribute to achieving the global goal of tripling renewable energy production by 2030,” the Secretary-General stressed.
He also noted that the G20 countries have the greatest potential and the greatest responsibility: they must lead. He called on all countries to do more.
Funding Flow
In addition, the UN chief continued, measures must be taken to ensure the flow of funding so that a revolution in the development of renewable energy sources takes place in emerging markets and developing countries. Such measures, he said, include increasing the lending capacity of multilateral development banks, addressing the high cost of capital, and taking effective action to address the debt problem.
“On International Clean Energy Day, let us commit to a swift, equitable and cooperative international transition to a clean energy era,” the UN Secretary-General concluded his message.