This photo taken on July 13, 2023 shows the scene of an energy thematic side event at the UN headquarters in New York. An energy thematic side event held Thursday at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York called for global energy interconnection through building a zero-carbon energy system for sustainable development. (Xinhua)
UNITED NATIONS, July 14 (Xinhua) -- An energy thematic side event held Thursday at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York called for global energy interconnection through building a zero-carbon energy system for sustainable development.
The meeting on "Jointly Building a Zero-Carbon Energy System to Further Advance the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" was co-hosted by the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO), the Latin American Energy Organization, the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition.
GEIDCO released a report titled "Global Energy Interconnection: Pathway Towards 2030 Sustainable Development," which points out that the current extensive exploitation and use of fossil energy have brought about resource, climate, environmental, and health problems, which are major obstacles to sustainable development.
"It is urgent to accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation of energy," the report said. "The construction of a global energy interconnection will generate nine benefits, which will fully align with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda and play a key role in achieving the seven goals, including Goal 7 (affordable and clean energy), Goal 8 (decent work and economic growth), and Goal 13 (climate action)."
The report proposes 10 actions and six mechanisms for the implementation of the global energy interconnection to support global sustainable development.
The meeting also issued a joint initiative "Building a Zero-Carbon Energy System for Sustainable Development," advocating for green development, consensus on energy transition, open collaboration, the construction of a zero-carbon energy system, innovation-driven development, accelerated energy technology revolution, and the common development of humankind.
Participants believed that building a global energy interconnection, and accelerating clean energy development and grid interconnection will contribute to green, low-carbon, and sustainable development, playing a key role in solving crises and securing a better future for humanity.
The side event was held on the sidelines of the ongoing UN High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development. Representatives from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the World Meteorological Organization and other institutions participated in the meeting.
Established in March 2016, GEIDCO is the first international organization initiated by China in the field of energy, aiming to promote the construction of a global energy interconnection to meet global electricity demand in a clean and green manner. ■
