Sustainable Energy for All Initiative Releases Major New Commitments to Action by Governments, Private Sector and Civil Society ahead of Rio+20 Conference

New York, NY – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Sustainable Energy for All initiative today released further commitments to action from a wide range of stakeholders in support of the Secretary-General's vision of achieving sustainable energy for all by 2030.

The Sustainable Energy for All initiative (SEforALL), launched by the Secretary-General in September 2011, brings together governments, businesses and civil society groups in an unprecedented effort to transform the world's energy systems by 2030.

"Sustainable energy fuels sustainable development. It drives economic growth, expands social equity, and helps create a healthier environment for us all," said Kandeh Yumkella, Director-General of the UN Industrial and Development Organization and Co-Chair of the High-level Group on Sustainable Energy for All. "The commitments to action announced today are evidence of the significant support this initiative has generated from all corners of the global. They are a much-needed down payment on a more prosperous, healthier future for both people and the planet."

The Secretary-General has set three complimentary objectives for the initiative, all to be achieved by 2030: ensure universal access to modern energy services, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency, and double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

"I believe this initiative is one of the great opportunities of our time. It provides solutions for some of the toughest global challenges we face – poverty, inequality, energy security, climate change and environmental protection," said Charles Holliday, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Bank of America and Co-Chair of the High-level Group on Sustainable Energy for All. "These commitments demonstrate that we can make tremendous progress when all key stakeholders -- developed and developing countries, private companies and civil society groups – work together in common cause for the common good."

Significant commitments to action recently announced include;

• GDF Suez will invest in approximately 50 local energy entrepreneurship projects in developing countries by 2020. It will also increase both its own energy efficiency by 40% by 2017 as well as its installed capacity of renewable energy by 50% from 2009-2015.
• d.Light Design, a social entrepreneur, is committed to providing solar lamps to 30 million people in more than 40 countries by 2015;
• Ghana, one of the first countries to partner with the initiative, is developing a national energy action plan to support capacity-development and innovative financing mechanisms.
• Barbados will increase its use of renewable energy to 29% of all electricity consumption by 2029;
• The European Commission announced a new initiative called "Energising Development" that will provide access to sustainable energy services to 500 million people by 2030 and create a Technical Assistance facility supported by approximately USD $63 million over the next two years;
• The United Nations Foundation is facilitating a global Energy Access Practitioner Network, bringing together more than 200 organizations from civil society to collaborate on the delivery of energy services and solutions related to electrification in a range of developing country contexts and;
• Members of rock band Linkin Park have launched the "Power the World" campaign and aim to deliver one million signatures to world leaders at Rio+20 urging an end to energy poverty. The campaign also collects pledges for We Care Solar to deliver their novel Solar Suitcases to health care practitioners in need of reliable lighting.

Sustainable Energy for All will be featured at several major events during the Rio+20 Conference. These events include;

1) June 19th: Energy Day, 9:30am to 9pm, Rio Centro, Pavilion 3, Room P3-3

2) June 19th: Press briefing by UN Assistant Secretary-General Robert Orr, 10:30am, Pavilion 3, Main Press Briefing Room

3) June 21st: SEforALL Press Conference, 2 to 2:30pm, Rio Centro, Pavilion 3, Main Press Briefing Room;

4) June 21st: SEforALL High Level Side Event, 3pm to 6pm, Rio Centro, Pavilion 3, Room P3-6.