UN Division for Sustainable Development

Case Study Detail Record

Organization type:	Intergovernmental Organization

Name of Organization:

Name of Focal Point:	Ms. Aurore Maillet, Ms. Gyorgyi Gurban

Initiative Title:	EU Energy Initiative for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development

Internet links:

Scope:

Status:	Ongoing

Timeframe:	Start: 2002 End:

Lead Institution:	European Commission and the member states of the EU

Stakeholders/Partners:	governments, other international energy initiatives, NEPAD, etc

Relevent issues:	- Increasing access to energy for the poor - Poverty reduction strategies and policies - Reducing rural poverty - Empowering the poor, including women and indigenous people - Equitable access to education and other basic services - Improving access to energy, clean water and sanitation

Objectives/Challenges:

- To contribute to providing the access to energy necessary for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, particularly that of halving the number of people in extreme poverty by the year 2015

- To raise political awareness among high level decision makers, encourage the coherence and synergy of energy-related activities and attract new resources (capital, technology, human resources) from the private sector, financial institutions, civil society and end-users

By creating a focus on energy and poverty the EUEI intends to:
• Raise political awareness among high level decision makers of the important role energy can play in poverty reduction
• Clarify the need for energy services for poverty reduction and sustainable development
• Make apparent the need for energy services in national/regional development strategies
• Encourage the coherence and synergy of energy-related activities
• Stimulate new resources (capital, technology, human resources) from the private sector, financial institutions, civil society and end-users.

Lessons Learned:

The Initiative has been successful in improving coordination, dialogue and synergies and in creating a number of funding and capacity building instruments that contribute to improved energy access.

Summary:

The European Union launched the EU Energy Initiative for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development (EUEI) at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in September 2002 as a joint commitment of the EU Member States and European Commission to support improved access to sustainable energy services in developing countries.
Through the Initiative, the EU proposes to work with developing countries towards creating the necessary conditions in the energy sector to achieve their national economic, social and environmental objectives, in particular by maximising energy efficiency, including more efficient use of fossil fuels and traditional biomass and increasing the use of renewable energy.
The EU Energy Initiative participates in the energy and development dialogue within the UN Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD) and other global fora.