UN Commission Pleas for World's Nations to Develop Sustainable Energy Sources
AEN News
New York - A senior United Nations official today called on
officials from across the world attending the annual session
of the Commission on Sustainable Development to address the
needs of the 2.4 billion people who lack modern energy
services as well as concerns over energy security exacerbated
by high prices.
"The central task before us is to identify constraints and barriers
that must be addressed by the international community," on the
highly interlinked issues of energy, air pollution, industrial
development and climate change, said Jose Antonio Ocampo, UN
Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, in
an opening address to the two-week gathering in New York.
Extending national electricity grids and promoting increased trade in
energy would address many concerns, Ocampo said. And renewable energy
technologies "can offer 'win-win' solutions for making energy service
available with minimal air pollution and climate change emissions."
Lowering the cost of renewable energy, he said, should be a priority.
In a measure of the relevance of this year's agenda, Commission Chair
Aleksi Aleksishvili, the Finance Minister of Georgia, sent word that
he was unable to attend the opening session due to a national
emergency that was caused by rising energy costs. In a message,
he said the issues under consideration by the Commission were
"unparalleled in their importance for achieving sustainable
development goals."
"The issues are complex and inter-linked," he said. "Energy use
and industrial development are essential for economic growth
and social development, but care must be taken to avoid or
minimize adverse air pollution and atmospheric, climate change
and other environmental effects."
Aleksishvili said it was estimated that investments of up to $550
billion a year through 2030 would be needed to improve access
to reliable and affordable modern energy services.
South African UN Representative Dumisani S. Kumalo, speaking for
the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said far more
must be done to meet internationally-agreed development goals.
"The collective political will to address the three pillars of
sustainable development had been declared, but that had not
been converted into action."
Close to 80 ministers as well as representatives from 1,250
major organizations will be attending the meeting.
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