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Energy
How to contribute
  • Comment on Cluster Position Papers
  • Upload relevant material under "Contributions from MGs"
When addressing energy issues, many speakers raised the need for a stand-alone goal on sustainable energy, a topic neglected in the MDGs. Secretary-General’s Sustainable Energy for All Initiative was noted by many as a good starting point with its three-tiered approach on access, efficiency and renewables, and additional targets were proposed for example for the energy-water-food-health nexus, women and sustainable energy and enabling environmen, since energy can either aggravate or alleviate many problems.

Speakers noted the several interlinkages between climate change and energy issues and mentioned that without solutions to climate change there can be no irreversible poverty eradication. The post-2015 agenda and the UNFCCC discussions should be mutually reinforcing. When rebuilding after natural disasters it is important to rebuild not only resilient but also climate-smart infrastructure to support mitigation efforts.

The just transition needed towards sustainable energy was remarked by many. It will be of utmost importance to ensure that “miners can turn into renewable energy engineers”, that the current workers will be provided with the new skills needed to minimize social costs of the transformation towards sustainable energy production.

When addressing access issues many noted that participatory processes are required to assess what kind of services the end-users truly find most useful. Providing access and increasing the amount of renewable energy should be seen as issues supporting each other; small scale, decentralized off-grid and mini grid options of renewable energy were raised as solutions for sustainable rural energy production and access.

Several speakers highlighted that women pay the price of traditional, biomass-based energy systems, since they often collect and carry the fuel and suffer the health consequences of cooking smoke and small-particle pollution and often also hazardous combustion by-products. At the same time though it was remarked that sustainable development should not in this regard be only about cleaner cook stoves for women but about true gender equality and shared responsibilities and household chores.

(Excerpt from Co-Chair's meetings with the Major Groups and other Stakeholders)
Steering Committee
Name Organization
Akhteruzzaman Sano Save the Earth Cambodia
Louise Kantrow OP for Business & Industry Major Group
Anabella Rosemberg ITCU
Sascha Gabizon OP Women
Nicole Bidegain Women's Major Group
Sarah Dayringer Citizens Network for Sustainable Development- C&Y Major Group
Members & Contributors
Name Organization
Benjamin Sporton World Coal Association
Carlos MarentesLA VIA CAMPESINA - International Peasant Movement
Carmen RicherzhagenGerman Development Institute/Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
Gisbert GlaserInternational Council for Science (ICSU)
Jessie Lydia HenshawCommons Cluster
Katie EllisChronic Poverty Advisory Network
Mans NilssonStockholm Environment Institute
Marcella O'Connell Future we Need Group
Marie-Luise AbshagenForum Umwelt und Entwicklung
Marie-Paule OgereauCIDSE
Matthew Reading SmithStakeholder Forum
Nicole CardinalSave the Children
Pen-Chung ChenHong Kong Polytechnic University
Sascha GabizonWomen in Europe for a Common Future (WECF)
SOTIRIS KAMENOPOULOSTecnhical University of Crete
Sunwoo KangEnvironmental Partnership Council
Susan AlznerUnited Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN NGLS)
Syed Zahid AliEuclid University
Tcharbuahbokengo NFINNFederation of Environmental and Ecological Diversity for Agricultural Revampment and Human Rights (FEEDAR & HR)
Veronika KissCEEweb for Biodiversity
Contributions

As a registered (online registered, through this website) major groups organization, you may contribute to the work of Steering Committees of the Thematic Clusters by uploading articles, background or position papers that relates to the Thematic Cluster and towards formulation of a Sustainable Development Goal of that particular cluster. See full list of Thematic Clusters here.

The OWG has begun to engage in detailed consideration of individual goals and targets. At this important moment however CIDSE believes a number of over-arching issues must be taken into account if thi...
CIDSE on 11:39 am, 5 May, 2014
Stakeholder Forum has produced a 'Summary of targets from proposals in the SDGs e-Inventory under the OWG’s 19 Focus Areas'. A section is devoted to targets and indicators related to engery.
Stakeholder Forum on 6:14 am, 7 Apr, 2014
In today’s world the challenge of sustainable mining is more than critical.
In accordance with the "RIO+20: The Future We Want" document, paragraphs 227 and 228:
“227. We acknowledge that minera...
Tecnhical University of Crete on 1:05 pm, 16 Feb, 2014
Nearly every fifth person does not have access to modern energy services. Three billion people depend on wood, coal, charcoal, or traditional biomass for their cooking and heating needs. This lack of ...
Forum Umwelt und Entwicklung on 6:08 am, 22 Jan, 2014
Pincos Chavez from the World Association of Former United Nations Interns and Fellows at the 5th session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals.

In this video, Mr Chavez highlig...
Stakeholder Forum on 12:58 pm, 9 Jan, 2014
Save the Children promotes a holistic post-2015 development agenda that has poverty eradication at its core and is guided by universal, equitable and human rights-based approaches to sustainable devel...
Save the Children on 12:27 pm, 8 Jan, 2014
Humanity is now facing intertwined crises, such as emerging resource use or increasing inequalities, which are driven by the reliance on fossil fuels to power economic growth and to maintain the curre...
CEEweb for Biodiversity on 12:20 pm, 3 Jan, 2014
In this position paper, we the 'Future We Need' Group understand Energy as an enabler of development and so, as well as possibly being a SDG itself, energy should be embedded in the other SDGs to mini...
Future we Need Group on 3:49 pm, 5 Dec, 2013
In order to inform the deliberations of the Fifth Session of the UN General Assembly Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Stakeholder Forum has conducted an analysis of th...
Stakeholder Forum on 6:36 am, 2 Dec, 2013
The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for SDGs and to demonstrate its application by elaborating specific target areas for energy. Based on a review and integration of global debates aro...
Stockholm Environment Institute on 3:24 am, 26 Nov, 2013
Needed are goals which lead to energy policies and strategies that:
• are based on the principle of energy sovereignty;
• rely on decentralised and democratically controlled energy generation an...
The recommendations on energy presented here have been compiled from three civil society consultations conducted by UN-NGLS from 2012-2013: a teleconference-based consultation that resulted in the rep...
Due to the fact that humanity is now facing intertwined crises, which are driven by the reliance on fossil fuels to power economic growth, fundamental changes in international policy responses are urg...
CEEweb for Biodiversity on 10:03 am, 22 Nov, 2013
The global data is very clear, increasing GDP always requires proportionally related increases in energy use. Our local sustainable business plans seem to suggest the reverse, increasing revenue (fr...
Commons Cluster on 9:48 pm, 19 Nov, 2013
This policy brief is based on a Chronic Poverty Advisory Network Policy Guide: Energy for All: Harnessing the Power of Energy Access for Chronic Poverty Reduction. It identifies key areas and new emph...
Chronic Poverty Advisory Network on 5:24 am, 19 Nov, 2013
This policy guide identifies key areas and new emphases for energy policy and programme development to eradicate poverty and hunger and presents new research results on energy and poverty dynamics. On...
Chronic Poverty Advisory Network on 5:21 am, 19 Nov, 2013
This is a contribution to the theme of Energy, made by ICSU, IIASA and TERI.
Key Messages: Sustainable Development Goals for Energy

1) Universal access to modern energy services by 2030.
2) Doubl...
Coal is an essential resource for meeting the challenges facing the modern world. It plays a major role in delivering electricity across the globe, is fundamental in the creation of steel and concrete...
World Coal Association on 7:01 am, 29 Oct, 2013
This policy brief on energy was prepared for the Planet under Pressure Conference 2012 (IGBP, DIVERSITAS, IGBP, WCRP, ICSU).
International Council for Science (ICSU) on 11:04 am, 28 Oct, 2013
The post-2015 agenda should reflect the importance of water, energy and land and their interrelatedness, the resource nexus. Goals of a new development agenda have to mirror the different dimensions o...
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