The United Nations General Assembly states in its declaration of 2012 as the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All: “…access to modern affordable energy services in developing countries is essential for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals (…) and sustainable development, which would help to reduce poverty and to improve the conditions and standard of living for the majority of the world’s population.”

The panel discussion will address the challenges of energy programmes and projects to combine the three dimensions of sustainability - economic feasibility, ecological sustainability and social inclusiveness: How do we ensure that resources are directed to develop a suitable mix of energy solutions for different target groups? What is the role of research in this context? Can sustainable development best be achieved by focusing on the energy supply for economic centers? Should rural supply be given preference in order to promote universal access to energy? How realistic is the vision to deliver energy services for everyone based on sustainable and renewable energy sources?

Programme:

Welcome
Brigitte Öppinger-Walchshofer, Managing Director of the Austrian Development Agency
Peter Traupmann, Managing Director of the Austrian Energy Agency

Key-note address
Kandeh K. Yumkella, Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Special Representative for and CEO of Sustainable Energy for All

Panel Discussion
Kandeh K. Yumkella
Rose Mensah-Kutin, Director of the Accra-based West-African Regional Office of ABANTU for Development, Advisory Group Member of ENERGIA
Shonali Pachauri, Senior Research Scholar, Energy Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

Moderator: Karin Reiss, Austrian Energy Agency

Date: 29th November, 2012
Time: 17.00 – 19.00 hrs
Venue: Haus des Sports, Spiegelsaal, Prinz-Eugen-Straße 12, 1040 Vienna

Further Information:

>>> Sustainable Energy for All - But for Whom First