News

Accelerating Universal Energy Access by 2030 and Advancing Decarbonization
September 21 2023

A team led by Gabriela Elizondo Azuela, ESMAP Manager, highlighted the World Bank’s work toward achieving universal energy access by 2030 (#SDG7) at one of the most important decision-making events held in New York in September, the United Nations General Assembly.

 

During #UNGA, where world leaders gather to discuss humanity’s most pressing challenges, the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) affirmed its commitment to turning #energytransition ambitions into reality, accelerating #electricityaccess, #renewableEnergies, #cleancooking and #decarbonization.

ESMAP co-hosted an event focused on the importance ensuring people have access to cooking appliances that allow them to prepare food without harming their health from soot and other carbons while also reducing CO2 emissions. “To achieve the goal of universal access to clean cooking by 2030, the current pace of annual growth must be doubled,” Elizondo Azuela told the event “Opportunities & Challenges for Implementing a Global Roadmap for a Just and Inclusive Cooking Energy Transition” held jointly with WHO and UN-Energy #cookingpoverty – the lack of access to cooking tools that do not harm people’s health and the environment – is as an urgent development issue. The cost of inaction is estimated at a staggering US$2.4 trillion per year.

The ESMAP team also engaged with stakeholders, including during discussions on attaining Sustainable Development Goal 7 on achieving global energy access by 2030 access and conveyed the clear message that financing of offshore wind projects needs to be sped up significantly to deliver +2,000GW by 2050.