Multiple, interconnected global crises continue to hit the world’s poorest the hardest, dramatically slowing down progress towards the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. For the first time since it was created over 30 years ago, the Human Development Index has declined for two years straight, erasing the gains of the preceding five years. 733 million people still lack access to electricity and the opportunities it brings, and 2.4 billion people lack access to clean cooking. Quickly closing the energy access gap and unlocking the global clean energy potential is critical to ensure a just energy transition.
To help countries address their energy challenges, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has pledged to mobilize partners to provide access to sustainable, affordable energy to 500 million people by 2025 as a means to advance decarbonization while unlocking development opportunities for the world’s most vulnerable communities.
UNDP has outlined recommendations for countries to put in place energy governance systems, and has convened 23 experts — parliamentary representatives, government bodies, academia, private sector, non-profit institutions, youth, and other civil society groups — from 17 countries in its Advisory Group for Energy Governance. This group will bring an intersectional and interdisciplinary mindset that will be critical for UNDP’s work on energy governance to be timely and relevant, and will help us assess future opportunities, challenges, risks, and trade-offs.
Among the groups members is CPE Faculty Member and U of T Professor Teresa Kramarz (Co-Chair).
“I commend UNDP’s initiative in creating this global platform, which I’m honored to co-chair,” said Teresa Kramarz. “It’s critical that UNDP, a leading actor supporting countries develop strong governance mechanisms, considers a range of opinions, perspectives, and experiences to shape its energy governance work.”
Teresa was also recently highlighted in segment for CBC’s The Current with Matt Galloway on “exploring Canada’s lithium rush,” which aired on February 8. Listen here.