The world needs a clean energy revolution, according to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during the April 28 launching of a report by his advisory group on energy and climate change in New York.
“We need a clean energy revolution – in developing countries, where demand is rising rapidly, and in the developed world, in order to cut greenhouse gas emissions,” Ban said.
Increasing access to clean energy sources not only offset the adverse effects of climate change but can also help alleviate poverty by helping achieve the Millennium Development Goals and foster industrial development in low- and middle-income countries, the report indicates.
The report urges universal access to modern energy services that are reliable, affordable, sustainable and from low-emissions sources by 2030. It also calls for the reduction of global energy intensity, which is measured by the quantity of energy per unit of gross domestic product.
“These are ambitious goals, but I think they are achievable,” Ban said. “And they are necessary.”
