New group of global leaders to support SEforALL’s mission

Today Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) announced the creation of a newly formed group of distinguished leaders from the private, public, philanthropic and civil society sectors with a shared mission to accelerate action on Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) and the Paris Agreement.

With a unique mandate from the United Nations to drive action on SDG7, SEforALL works to deliver impactful solutions to accelerate progress to SDG7, focusing on new partnerships, data, finance and implementation, and complemented by high-level advocacy.

In the face of the interlinked global climate and energy poverty crises, SEforALL has resolved to redouble its efforts. Today, 759 million people around the world lack even basic electricity access, 2.6 billion people still rely on dangerous and unhealthy cooking methods, and 1 billion people lack accessible cooling solutions. These deficits severely undermine progress on almost every other Sustainable Development Goal. Furthermore, the solutions must align with a trajectory towards Net Zero carbon emissions by mid-century.

The newly established Leadership Council will support our mission at this critical juncture by providing advisory services, conducting high-level advocacy for action on SDG7, assisting in mobilizing resources for SEforALL and our partnerships, and acting as ambassadors for the organization.

"As Chair of the Administrative Board, I am honoured to convene such a powerful and global group of distinguished, like-minded leaders from across the energy sector who bring a breadth of experience and expertise. I am excited about the opportunities we have to continue to support SEforALL in being an innovative force for scaling up required actions. We must all act together to achieve sustainable energy for all – and the development goals afforded by energy access," said Francesco Starace, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Enel S.p.A., and Chair of the SEforALL Administrative Board (ex-officio member).

“I’m delighted to have this stellar and accomplished group of partners join our Leadership Council. Many have been friends of Sustainable Energy for All for a long time and share wholeheartedly in our mission to drive action for universal energy access. With less than 9 years to achieve SDG7, the Leadership Council will provide critical advisory and advocacy services to spur greater support and much-needed collaboration in our efforts to end energy poverty and leave no one behind,” said Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative to the UN Secretary General for Sustainable Energy for All.

The Leadership Council members are:

• Bola Adesola, Chairman of the Board, Ecobank Nigeria
• Jason Bordoff, Co-Founding Dean of the Columbia Climate School, Founding Director of the Center on Global Energy Policy, and Professor of Professional Practice in International and Public Relations at Columbia University SIPA
• Grete Faremo, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services
• Tanja Gönner, Chair of the Management Board of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Member of the Supervisory Board of the Deutsche Energie-Agentur (dena)
• Per Heggenes, Chief Executive Officer of the IKEA Foundation, and Member of the United Nations Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement
• Francesco Starace, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Enel S.p.A., and Chair of the SEforALL Administrative Board (ex-officio member)
• Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation (ECF), Chair of the Board of Governors at the French Development Agency (AFD), and Professor at Sciences Po, Paris
• Kandeh Yumkella, Founder and CEO of The Energy Nexus Network (TENN), Member of Parliament in Sierra Leone, Member of the High-Level Group of the Africa-Europe Foundation, and Co-chair of the Africa Europe Foundation Strategy Group on Energy

Learn more about the Leadership Council here.