Rachel Kyte Joins Energy Transitions Commission

News

(Washington, DC) – Rachel Kyte, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), announced today at the Climate Action 2016 Summit that she will be joining the Energy Transitions Commission (ETC) as the newest of the group’s distinguished Commissioners.

As part of the ETC, she will join more than 25 leaders from across the energy sector who are collaborating to accelerate the transition towards low-carbon energy systems that help us achieve the commitment of the Paris Agreement while enabling robust economic development.

Lord Adair Turner, Chairman of the Energy Transitions Commission, said: “Rachel brings decades of demonstrated sustainability experience to the Commission, particularly in emerging markets and with an emphasis on sustainable development. She adds a valuable new perspective to our diverse Commission, which benefits exponentially from each new voice.”

Kyte said: “I am thrilled to join the Energy Transitions Commission and look forward to the opportunity to contribute to the already rich and diverse expertise the Commissioners represent. Securing affordable and clean energy is the key to combating both climate change and poverty. And doing so will help us secure a better world – not for just the few, but for all.”

In her role as CEO of SEforALL, Kyte pursues a multi-faceted action mandate to drive access to energy services, enhanced efficiency and increasing the global share of renewable energy. As Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, she also leads UN action towards the recently agreed global goal on sustainable energy. Until December 2015, Kyte was Vice President and Special Envoy for Climate Change at the World Bank.

Other Commissioners in attendance at the Climate Action 2016 Summit include: Former Vice President Al Gore, World Resources Institute President and CEO Andrew Steer, We Mean Business CEO Nigel Topping and United Nations Foundation Vice Chair Nigel Topping. A full list of Commissioners can be found here: http://www.energy-transitions.org/who-we-are.

Lord Turner added: “The ETC is committed to bringing together the players – from government, industry, investors and NGOs – who have the practical knowledge to design the energy revolution necessary to limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C while enabling strong economic growth.”

The ETC recently commissioned an analysis of 17 Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) that shows that, despite a renewables revolution, more radical actions will be required to drive transition to zero-carbon energy systems and to keep global temperature rise well below 2°C.

About The Energy Transitions Commission

The Energy Transitions Commission was convened to help identify pathways for change in our energy systems to ensure both better growth and a better climate. This is inspired by the work of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate and its flagship project the New Climate Economy. The Commissioners bring a diverse and remarkable range of viewpoints and extraordinary depth of experience. They come from across the energy spectrum, including investors, incumbent energy companies, innovators, industrial energy users, public and academic institutions and foundations, advisors, and academics from across the developed and developing world. What they share is a mission to accelerate change towards zero-carbon energy systems that enable robust economic development and limit the rise in global temperature to well below 2°C. They will do this by providing decision-makers with insights and options for action at local and/or sector level. This will stem from objective research and wide engagement with actors in the energy system.

www.energy-transitions.org

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