World leaders to meet on 24 September on curbing emissions and solving energy poverty by accelerating shift to clean energy for all
Curtain-raiser Virtual Press Briefing
Wednesday, 15 September, 9:00-9:30 a.m. New York time
With the Co-Chairs of the High-level Dialogue on Energy:
Achim Steiner, Administrator of UNDP
Damilola Ogunbiyi, Special Representative of the Secretary-General
for Sustainable Energy for All
Watch live at webtv.un.org and register https://forms.gle/5fS4yLULpFHsjj3T6 to submit questions.
Registration open to bona fide media representatives only
New York, 9 September —Faced with the rapidly accelerating impacts of climate change
and
urgent need to reduce carbon emissions from the energy sector—while ensuring that all people have access to
electricity and clean energy -- the UN is bringing together Heads of State and Government as well as leaders
from
business, foundations and other organizations on 24 September to mobilize commitments and actions.
The High-level Dialogue on Energy, which will be convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the
summit
level at the request of the General Assembly, is an historic opportunity to close this gap, as the first
gathering
of leaders in more than 40 years at the UN solely devoted to energy issues.
It will produce a roadmap toward net-zero emissions and universal energy access and provide an opportunity
for
governments, as well as businesses and civil society organizations, to present plans and commitments in the
form of
“Energy Compacts”, that will help achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 and the Paris Agreement.
ENERGY COMPACTS. As of early September, over 100 Energy Compacts have been submitted
from
organizations in over 26 countries, including: Member States; businesses; UN and international
organizations; foundations; financial institutions; regions and cities; and civil society groups including
several
youth networks. They include commitments on boosting access to electricity and clean cooking,
increasing the
share of renewables and energy efficiency, spurring investment and showcasing other new technologies. Many
more
Compacts are expected prior to the High-level Dialogue and in the months ahead, as the commitments are
tracked
through the 2030 target year and partnerships expanded.
Among the large-scale Energy Compacts already previewed, the Rockefeller Foundation and IKEA Foundation have
committed $1 billion to spearhead a new global funding platform and empower 1 billion people with access to
distributed renewable energy, such as mini-grids. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(EBRD)
pledged to invest an additional $1.3 billion by 2023 to finance district energy investments and other
services as
part of its Green Cities programme in nearly 40 countries.
WHAT / WHY
The recent IPCC report showed that urgent action is needed to keep the 1.5°C goal in reach, in order to
limit the
impacts of climate change. At the same time, this goal will not be reached unless all people have
access to
clean, affordable and reliable energy, as agreed to by all countries as part of the 2030 Sustainable
Development
Goals -- Goal 7.
Globally there are 759 million people without access to electricity. A further 800 million or more people
have
unreliable or intermittent access to the essential electricity that is needed at home, work, school, health
facilities and community services for people to live healthy and productive lives. Nearly 3 billion people
do not
have access to clean cooking fuels and technologies.
The energy sector currently accounts for almost three-quarters of greenhouse gas emissions. While energy
access-deficit countries may contribute little today to the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate
change,
achieving access for everyone to sufficient energy for productive use, industrialization and economic growth
would
cause their emissions to increase significantly if that energy comes from fossil fuels, such as coal-fired
power and
continued use of diesel-powered generators.
Taking place less than two months before the critical Climate Conference in Glasgow this November—COP 26—the
Energy
Dialogue is also an important step towards mobilizing commitments and defining the actions that will enable
countries to reduce their emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050, in line
with the
Paris Agreement.
WHEN / WHO (all events virtual, livestreamed at webtv.un.org and www.un.org/en/conferences/energy2021
22 September, “The Power of SDG7 to Create a Better Future for People and Planet”
23 September, “Let’s Get It Done: Catalytic Finance for Universal Energy Access and
Energy
Transition”
7:30-9:00 am both days – pre-summit events with leaders from business,
foundations,
youth and civil society, who will announce their Energy Compact commitments and aim to expand
partnerships.
24 September
9:30 – 10:00 am Opening of the High-level Dialogue on Energy, with UN
Secretary-General
António Guterres, President of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid, and business and youth leaders.
10:00am-6:00pm -- High-level Dialogue on Energy –
statements by
Heads of State and Government, and business and other leaders as time permits.
Interactive “fireside chat” with the Co-Chairs of the High-level Dialogue, Achim
Steiner and
Damilola Ogunbiyi, as well as leaders from business and civil society organizations. (Time TBC)
Dialogue closing remarks by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and UN
Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Dialogue Secretary-General Liu
Zhenmin.
Media Contacts
UN DGC: Dan Shepard, shepard@un.org
HLDE Secretariat, UN
DESA:
Pragati Pascale, pascale@un.org
Daniella Sussman, daniella.sussman@un.org
UNDP: Sarah Bel, sarah.bel@undp.org
SEforALL: Divya Kottadiel, divya.kottadiel@seforall.org
The Dialogue programme, logistical information, press resources and contacts for partner organizations will
be
posted here.
For updates, subscribe to the Dialogue newsletter by
sending a
request to energy2021@un.org, or follow @UN_Energy on Twitter.