CAN Position: Joint with Beyond2015 for UN Thematic Consultation on Energy, January 2013
1. Introduction
This paper is a response by the international civil society, represented by CAN-International and Beyond2015, to the thematic consultation on Energy launched by the UN, in relation to the work of the UN High Level Panel of Eminent Persons.
Climate Action Network International (CAN) is the world’s largest network of civil society organizations working together to promote government action to address the climate crisis, with more than 700 members in over 90 countries.
Beyond 2015 is a global civil society campaign, pushing for a strong and legitimate successor framework to the Millennium Development Goals. The campaign brings together more than 570 organisations from over 95 countries. Whilst participating organisations have a range of views regarding the content of a post-2015 framework, the campaign unites behind one vision:
- That a global overarching cross-thematic framework succeeds the Millennium Development Goals, reflecting Beyond 2015’s policy positions.
- That the process of developing this framework is participatory, inclusive and responsive to voices of those directly affected by poverty and injustice.
2. Centrality of energy to development
Energy is a key driver of human and economic development. It powers communities, homes, businesses and industries, schools, hospitals, and transportation. Businesses across subSaharan Africa see the lack of access to reliable and affordable electricity as the biggest obstacle to operations. Access to energy is key to eradicating poverty, and levels of access closely correlate to rankings on the human development index and other measures of development progress. Energy’s status as an enabler – catalysing access to clean water, education, public health, and sanitation – has led it to be widely described as the ‘missing’ Millennium Development Goal.
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