Subject: "A Vision for The Decade (2014-2024) of Sustainable Energy for All"
Dear Mr. Secretary-General,
I would like to confess to you at first that before writing this essay, I never really bothered myself with energy problems. The topic of sustainable energy always seemed as a distant and isolated topic. My original motivation for this contest was very materialistic, as I just wanted to win the cash prize which I wanted to use for my studies abroad next semester. But as I started researching the energy topic, I’ve realized how interconnected is sustainable energy with all the other development goals. I can truly say that the essay writing process has opened up my eyes and changed my outlook on current global energy issues. This is why I would like to thank Global Energy Initiative for giving me this great learning opportunity.
Of course, at first, I got overwhelmed by the number of problems that yet need to be solved, but then I realized that there is so much more for my generation to do in the upcoming decades that this inspired me significantly.
Among all the things that need to be done for our bright future are the ambitious goals that Your Excellency’s Initiative of Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) aims to achieve. They are:
1. To ensure universal access to modern energy services;
2. To double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency;
3. To double the share of renewable energy in the global energy.
These goals obviously require tremendous amount of effort not only from UN itself, but also from national governments, development partners, private sector as well as civil society. Although, these goals can not be accomplished just in one decade, it is this upcoming decade, which can become a beginning of the end to global problems.
Your Excellency said that “saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth – these are one and the same fight.” I also
References: United Nations Development Programme (2013). Achieving Sustainable Energy for All in the Asia-Pacific. Retrieved from http://www.snap-undp.org/elibrary/Publications/APRC-EE-2013-SE4ALL.pdf United Nations(November 2011). A Vision Statement by Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations. Sustainable Energy for All. Retrieved fromhttp://www.sustainableenergyforall.org/images/content/SG_Sustainable_Energy_for_All_vision_final_clean%20(1).pdf International Energy Agency (2011). World Energy Outlook. Retrieved from http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/WEO2011_WEB.pdf