Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres issues Call to Action on Clean Energy at the World Without Hunger Conference in Addis Ababa

The Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC) has issued the joint CALL TO ACTION "CLEAN ENERGY WITHOUT BORDERS FOR A WORLD WITHOUT HUNGER". 

The initiative is a contribution to the discussions at the World Without Hunger Conference, co-organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the African Union (AU), the Government of Ethiopia and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) between 5 and 7 November 2024, in Addis Ababa. The call document is open for signature by other international public and private partners. 

The joint initiative has a clear message: A World Without Hunger needs a World with Universal Access to Sustainable Energy for All. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG2) cannot be attained without investing in Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) and a just energy transition. The livelihoods of 2.5 billion people worldwide depend on agriculture and access to reliable, affordable and modern energy services is essential at every stage of the agri-food value chain. 

However, today still 685 million people and farmers particularly in rural areas of the Global South lack of access to electricity or depend on expensive diesel generators, what hampers productivity, food security, climate resilience and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Agri-food systems use about 30% of the world’s energy and are responsible for one-quarter of GHG emissions. 

Moreover, still 2.3 billion people in 128 countries cook their meals over open fires or on simple stoves, causing 3.7 million premature deaths due to indoor pollution annually, affecting particularly women and children. In business-as-usual scenarios, still over 1.8 billion people will lack access to clean cooking in 2030.

Therefore, there is need to unlock the multi-billion USD market opportunity for renewable energy, efficient and high-performing agri-food appliances and green fertilizers in the Global South by setting enabling national and regional policy frameworks and financial instruments. The GN-SEC centres call upon the leaders of the conference to launch a massive public-private investment program for distributed renewable energy, efficient and high-performing agri-food appliances.  

It is estimated that USD 21.3 billion - or USD 3.6 billion per year between 2025 to 2030 - is needed for off-grid solar solutions to play its critical role in achieving universal access by 2030. Additional USD 74 billion is needed to boost markets for solar water pumps, cold storage and other productive use applications. Investment in clean cooking stoves and infrastructure needs USD 8 billion annually, USD 4 billion for Africa alone.

Moreover, the centres underline the urgent need to invest in green industrial skills development, entrepreneurship, innovation and quality infrastructure in the Global South, to unlock the vast job and income potential along the value chains of clean energy manufacturing and servicing. It is estimated that already today, across East, West and Central Africa, as well as South Asia, the solar off-grid sector creates more than 370,000 full time jobs, 27% of them filled by women.

In the joint statement, the centres also call for regional market approaches to accelerate the industrial roll-out of renewable energy and high-performing agri-food and clean cooking appliances for the benefit of all. Regional supply-chains, shared resources, harmonised quality standards, joint learning and pooling of funds can become a “game changer” and create the needed economies of scales.

With the joint initiative, the GN-SEC centres raise awareness on the difficult situation of least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS), which have been severely impacted by recent fossil fuel, fertilizer and food import price escalations and interruption of essential supply-chains of the agri-food industry.

The call to action is part of the joint south-south and triangular activities of the GN-SEC on sustainable energy issues and solutions of common interest. The network of ten specialised centres, which are attached to various regional economic communities, is coordinated by UNIDO and covers 120 countries and territories in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. The centres provide support “from the regions for the regions” and work toward harmonised and inclusive regional sustainable energy product and service markets. The GN-SEC program receives financial support by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and various other international partners. 

Further information is available at: www.gn-sec.net