UN chief announces chairs of group promoting sustainable energy for all

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said here Tuesday that Kandeh Yumkella, chair of UN energy and executive director of the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and Charles Holliday, chairman of the Bank of America, will lead a group on sustainable energy. The secretary-general's announcement came as he spoke to reporters at a press conference here about his Sustainable Energy for All Initiative, which he originally launched on Sept. 20. The two co-chairs will head the UN High-Level Group on Sustainable Energy for All, which will aim to implement the objectives of the imitative. "The Sustainable Energy for All group includes key players from around the world -- business, finance, governments, civil society, " said Ban. "Its job is to catalyze partnerships, commitments, and action -- in corporate board rooms, in government ministries, and on the ground in thousands of local communities." The announcement of the co-chairs comes as the UN prepares for the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All in 2012. It is also the year when representatives from all over the world will gather for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20). "Nearly 20 years after Rio, we see more clearly than ever that economic growth, environmental protection, and social equity are one and the same agenda: the sustainable development agenda," said Ban. "Energy is the golden thread that runs right through all." In a vision document, also released on Tuesday, Ban outlined his three main goals to support sustainable energy for all. The first is allowing universal access to modern energy services, while the second is improving energy efficiency at twice the current rate. "Third: doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix," Ban said. "Together, these goals can help to end energy poverty and catalyze a clean energy revolution that benefits all humanity." Ban said that he would like to see all of these goals attained by the year 2030. "Sustainable energy -- clean, affordable and accessible to all - - is a win-win-win," he said.