United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon has commended the contribution of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency, to the High-level Group on Sustainable Energy for All, also known as S4ALL.

Mr Ban stated in a written message to the Chief Executive Officer of NEPAD, Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, that his efforts combined with the work of other Group members, has charted a way forward to achieving his vision on the ground, by offering a bold strategy on how to change the world’s energy systems.

The Group includes distinguished global leaders in business, finance, Governments, and civil society. It is co-chaired by Kandeh Yumkella, the Chair of United Nations Energy and Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and Charles Holliday, Chairman of Bank of America.

Sustainable Energy for All is an initiative launched by the UN Secretary-General and guided by the High Level Group that brings all key actors to the table to make the initiative a reality by 2030.

In September 2012, Dr Mayaki participated in an SE4ALL meeting in New York,  where he highlighted NEPAD’s energy commitments announced during the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20),  in June. Key among them are the programmes on renewable energy; NEPAD’s role in the high impact area of bioenergy; as well as the Agency’s collaboration with UNDP on Africa Platform for Development Effectiveness which has culminated in the formation of an African response to sustainable energy initiatives.

Dr Mayaki emphasised the link between sustainable energy and Africa’s development agenda and expressed NEPAD’s interest in being fully engaged in the second phase of the initiative.

The High Level Group works on action areas which address both power generation and the principle sectors of energy consumption. They include: Modern Cooking Appliances & Fuels; Distributed Electricity Solutions; Grid Infrastructure & Supply Efficiency; Large Scale Renewable Power; Industrial & Agricultural Processes; Transportation; and Buildings & Appliances. Other areas are: Energy Planning & Policies; Business Model & Technology Innovation; Finance & Risk Management; Capacity Building & Knowledge Sharing.

Given the importance of biomass, including charcoal and wood, which accounts  for over 80 percent of the primary energy use in Africa and whose consumption is growing, delegates at a Bioenergy meeting in Nairobi in September recommended that the AUC, NEPAD and the UN Development Agency - UNDP  - should support sustainable charcoal production and use within the context of the SE4ALL initiative, through the development of an African Sustainable Charcoal Framework, with particular linkages to the work being undertaken at the continental and regional level.