{"id":276275,"date":"2024-03-18T16:54:16","date_gmt":"2024-03-18T20:54:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/78\/?p=276275"},"modified":"2024-03-18T16:54:25","modified_gmt":"2024-03-18T20:54:25","slug":"pga-remarks-at-the-meeting-of-the-group-of-friends-for-sustainable-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/78\/2024\/03\/18\/pga-remarks-at-the-meeting-of-the-group-of-friends-for-sustainable-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"PGA Remarks at the meeting of the Group of Friends for Sustainable Energy"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Remarks<\/span>\u00a0by the President of the General Assembly,<\/b><\/p>\n

Mr. Dennis Francis,<\/b><\/p>\n

at the Meeting of the Group of Friends for Sustainable Energy<\/b><\/p>\n

[as Delivered]<\/b><\/p>\n

18 March 2024<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Your Excellency, Ms. Christina Markus Lassen, Permanent Representative of Denmark,<\/i><\/p>\n

Mr.\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for the\u00a0<\/i>Department of Economic and Social Affairs,<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,<\/i><\/p>\n

I am grateful to the Permanent Mission of Denmark, alongside the Permanent Missions of Ethiopia, Norway, and Pakistan \u2013 as Co-chairs of the\u00a0Group of Friends for Sustainable Energy<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 for organizing this meeting and for the kind invitation to join you this morning.<\/p>\n

It is an important and timely meeting, indeed \u2013 as we work to ensure the\u00a0best possible outcomes<\/b>\u00a0of the Global Stocktaking on Sustainable Energy in April 2024.<\/p>\n

You certainly would be aware that \u2013 since the launch of the\u00a0Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Decade of Sustainable Energy for All<\/b>\u00a0in 2014 \u2013 some progress has been made in bringing affordable and clean energy to more people around the world.<\/p>\n

New and more affordable technologies, better connectivity, and expanding partnerships have translated into discernible gains in fulfilling the promise of SDG7.<\/p>\n

But our work is far from being complete.<\/p>\n

We still have significant gaps to close \u2013 and further momentum to gain \u2013 in delivering\u00a0universal access<\/b>\u00a0to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Excellencies,<\/i><\/p>\n

As I have announced, the Global Stocktaking marking the end of the\u00a0Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Decade\u00a0<\/b>will be held on 19 April \u2013 as part of the\u00a0General Assembly\u2019s first ever\u00a0Sustainability Week<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

It will feature two thematic debates for Member States on\u00a0closing the energy access gap and transitioning to decarbonized energy systems<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0addressing energy interlinkages and strengthening means of implementation and partnerships<\/b>.<\/p>\n

I invite Member States, once again, to engage in the thematic debates at the highest possible level \u2013 to ensure that the deliberations yield impactful outcomes.<\/p>\n

With the support of my team, we are currently working with Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Energy and other partners to finalize the arrangements.<\/p>\n

In this context, I also welcome the\u00a0roadmap<\/b>\u00a0presented by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ-DESA \u2013 which provides us with an excellent overview of the Global Stocktaking preparations.<\/p>\n

Our deliberations at the Global Stocktaking will better position us \u2013 as we also prepare for the\u00a0Summit of the Future<\/b>\u00a0in September, and other major conferences and events.<\/p>\n

I have just returned this past weekend from Baku, Azerbaijan \u2013 where I had the opportunity to appreciate firsthand, the vision of His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev and his advisors for the upcoming\u00a0COP29<\/b>\u00a0in November.<\/p>\n

I am convinced that the Global Stocktaking will also contribute to this Conference \u2013 where we must aim to continue the push for real action in the energy transition.<\/p>\n

But what happens next?<\/p>\n

How will we sustain the political momentum after the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Decade is officially completed at the end of 2024?<\/p>\n

How will we spur the critical\u00a0innovations<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0investments<\/b>\u00a0needed to ensure universal access by 2030?<\/p>\n

There are\u00a0473 million\u00a0<\/b>people in least developed countries\u00a0alone<\/b>\u00a0who are still without electricity \u2013 and a further\u00a02 billion\u00a0<\/b>people relying on harmful fuels to meet their energy needs.<\/p>\n

We cannot afford to relent in our efforts \u2013 as part of our collective commitment and resolve to\u00a0leaving no one behind<\/i>.<\/p>\n

As a major outcome of the Global Stocktaking, I am proposing a\u00a0Call to Action<\/b>\u00a0to encourage Member States not only to follow-up on the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Decade \u2013 but further to achieve the\u00a0net zero<\/b>\u00a0goal by 2050.<\/p>\n

Key elements of the Call to Action will centre on the commitments made and bedrock principles expressed throughout the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Decade:<\/p>\n