Amsterdam, June 20th,2019
Leveraging on the long standing relationship of the Enel Group with Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), Enel Foundation contributed to the SEforALL Charrettes in Amsterdam, discussing the global progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 7 and focusing on the role philanthropy might play in achieving the objectives set for 2030. The event, co-convened by IKEA Foundation, gathered 200 professionals from a wide range of backgrounds and representing different Foundations engaged in addressing energy challenges, focusing on the actions to undertake to achieve greater speed and scale in access to clean, sustainable and affordable energy.
The “Integrated Electrification Pathways for Universal Access to Electricity” report was launched during the Charrettes to help align government, donor, private sector and consumers on how to deliver electricity to the last mile, through a mix of on and off-grid and mini-grid solutions.
In another important document published earlier this year, The Energy Progress Report, SEforALL has highlighted that notwithstanding global efforts, 840million people still lack access to electricity, 2.90 billion people are without clean cooking and only 17.5% of the total energy consumption comes from renewables. UN Secretary-General António Guterres calls this progress “insufficient”, and with just 12 years to the 2030 deadline, highlighted that “we must inject a sense of urgency. The objective is to be more effective, cohesive and accountable.”
The SEforALL Charrettes unfolded as intensive sessions of decision-making, discussing topics like renewable energy, electrification, development, gender empowerment, green finance and education. In Amsterdam some case studies were analysed from Togo, Nepal and Ethiopia. Togo for instance was showcased as example of how serious political support can translate into cutting-edge initiatives for a clean electrification of a country. Ethiopia, on the other hand, provided an example of the importance of defining a well-crafted and articulated national plan on integrated electrification, articulating all the components and allocating clear targets for each one.
All of the takeaways from the Charrettes will be processed and translate into concrete inputs for the UN’s Climate Action Summit and the sessions on SDGs at the General Assembly that will take place in September.
“At a time when politics are becoming volatile and communities pushed in opposition to each other, philanthropy can take the long view. Philanthropy can be patient in its building of relationships and partnerships, in its relationship with geography, and in its commitment to an issue.”
– (Rachel Kyte, SRSG and CEO, SEforALL)