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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon (pictured with George Bush) called on businesses and governments to invest in renewable energy to help economies move away from carbon-generating energy schemes. He emphasized the need for “a global public investment programme for renewable energy with appropriate technology transfer.†The message was delivered during the 2009 Global Renewable Energy Forum, organized by the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in conjunction with the Government of Mexico. The event started on Wednesday and closes today in Leon, Mexico.
Mr. Ban said that the pursuit of energy efficiency and the expansion of renewable energy can promote clean development and break the connection between economic growth and rising greenhouse gas emissions.
“Most importantly, they can help to reduce poverty and empower billions of people whose development is held back by a lack of access to affordable electricity,†said Mr. Ban. “Our goal is to ‘Seal the Deal’ in Copenhagen. A deal that is ambitious, comprehensive and equitable, so all citizens of the world, whether in industrialized or developing countries, can live in an environmentally sustainable way”.
Still on the topic, Reuters reports that the UN Industrial Development Organization Director General Kandeh Yumkella said 2009 saw a 40 per cent decline in renewable energy investments due to the economic crisis. He mentioned that “annual investments in renewable energy, especially hydroelectric projects, soared more than fourfold to $155 billion between 2004 and 2008, but have dropped in 2009â€.
Via Climate-l.org, UN.org and Reuters
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