Oslo conference sets stage for 2012
Oslo, 12.10.2011 - REEEP International Secretariat
On Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 October, Oslo hosted a high-level conference “Energy for All: financing access for the poor” to examine ways of mobilising enough financial resources to achieve access to energy for all by 2030. In the run-up to 2012 as the UN-proclaimed Year of Sustainable Energy for All, the conference drew a wide range of stakeholders including the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, heads of government, government ministers, and representatives of international organisations including REEEP, the public and private sectors, financial institutions, civil society and academia.
The event was co-organised by Norway and the International Energy Agency (IEA), in partnership with five countries from the South - Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Liberia and South Africa.
Over the course of the two days, some 500 delegates from 70 countries considered the energy access question in detail, and reached ten key takeaways from the meeting:
- Energy is a critical enabler. Universal access to modern energy services underpins human well-being and economic development.
- Universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy services by 2030 is both financially and technologically achievable. The UN Secretary-General’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative provides an excellent opportunity to catalyse action by all stakeholders towards this end.
- Finance will be raised from a combination of sources: the private sector; developing country governments; official development assistance and multilateral development institutions. Climate finance could provide additional finance.
- All energy sources and technical solutions must be utilised to reach the goal of universal access whilst aiming to make the energy mix as economically, socially and environmentally sustainable as possible. There is a large untapped potential for using renewable energy resources in many developing countries.
- Government commitment and supportive policies are vital for success. Key factors are strong governance and regulatory frameworks that seek to minimise political and economic risks and encourage investments, as well as strengthened capacity of national and local institutions.
- The private sector has a pivotal role to play, encompassing a range of actors from local entrepreneurs, manufacturers, and international and domestic project developers, to international banks, local banks, micro-finance institutions and foundations.
- There is no significant financial barrier to increasing access to clean cooking facilities.
- Policies and other actions should target the poorest.
- The International Energy and Climate Initiative, Energy+, was launched with the aim of reducing risks and enabling a better environment for private and commercial investments in energy access.
- All stakeholders have an important role to play in achieving universal access by 2030.
“The fact that Norway is hosting such an important stage-setting event for 2012 speaks volumes,” said Marianne Osterkorn, REEEP’s Director General at the conference, “and the range of luminaries they have attracted is deeply impressive. The Norwegian government’s strong support for sustainable energy, and particularly its strong support for REEEP is deeply appreciated.”
Click here for the conference website including media clips from key all sessions.
A pdf of the official conference summary and a copy of REEEP's new leaflet on the advantages of sustainable energy in increasing energy access can both be downloaded here: