117. A lack of modern and sustainable energy services has major consequences not only for climate change but also for household economies and people’s health, as families substitute less efficient and dirtier energy sources for their needs. It is estimated that today over 1.3 billion people lack access to electricity, 2.7 billion people rely on the traditional use of biomass for cooking and almost one half of the world’s population still depends on solid fuels such as unprocessed biomass, coal or charcoal.

118. If energy were universally available, whole vistas of new opportunities would open up, including access to modern means of communication and information, new livelihood and training options and powerful drivers of economic growth. Realizing these opportunities will involve a sustained push to connect communities which remain “off grid”.

119. The production and use of energy, however, comes with significant costs, ranging from climate change to energy security and environmental degradation. There are multiple options for addressing these, the most significant of which include the development and widespread penetration of renewable sources and improvements in energy efficiency. Both have seen a huge surge in recent years, aided by new Government programmes and significant new investment. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, for example, 2011 showed a record $206 billion in total clean energy investment — five times the total obtained only seven years ago. This includes an increase in total investment in solar power to $136 billion. Simultaneously, over the past decade the energy intensity of the world economies has continued to decline. Notwithstanding these advances, the energy sector continues to face major challenges in all dimensions of sustainable development.

120. To address the energy access question as well as improvements in energy efficiency and the more rapid uptake of renewable energy, the Secretary-General has spearheaded a new initiative: “Sustainable Energy for All”. It sets three goals to be reached by 2030: universal access to modern energy services; the doubling of the rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and the doubling of the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

Recommendation 20
121. Governments should work in concert with appropriate stakeholders to ensure universal access to affordable sustainable energy by 2030, as well as seek to double the rate of improvement in energy efficiency and the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. Governments and international organizations should promote energy-saving technologies and renewable energy through the incentivization of research and development and investment in them.