Energy Post 2015

Crown Prince Haakon began by focusing on the need for sustainable energy for all.

The meeting is part of the UN initiative The World We Want, which is gathering input to submit to the UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel on the post-2015 development agenda when the current Millennium Development Goals expire in 2015.

Crown Prince Haakon was met by Norwegian Minister of International Development Heikki Eidsvoll Holmås, Norway’s representative in the collaborative effort. Norway is co-hosting the conference on energy together with Mexico and Tanzania. Prior to opening the meeting, the Crown Prince greeted youth representatives who have participated in consultations in Tanzania and Mexico.

Sustainable energy for all

In his remarks, the Crown Prince expressed his concern about the dilemma facing the world today: How to provide enough energy to everyone in a sustainable manner.

“The global community faces the formidable task of providing sufficient energy to support future economic activity in both industrialised and developing countries - and providing it sustainably. This is a task that cannot be dealt with at a national or a regional level alone.  It also requires a global effort.” 

Crown Prince Haakon also mentioned his own first-hand encounters with climate change:

“I have seen shrinking glaciers, such as the Kongsbreen glacier at Svalbard, which has retracted from the fjord and up the mountainside the last hundred years, quite dramatically. And on Greenland, I have seen old houses that have tilted to the side the last 15 years – even though they have been there a long, long time – and this because of the melting permafrost.”

The meeting put special focus on young people, represented by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth Ahmad Alhindawi who spoke after Crown Prince Haakon.

The World We Want -TWWW

The World We Want is an initiative launched by the UN Development Group and placed under the responsibility of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In the activities leading up to the Millennium Development Goals, relatively few advisory processes were implemented, and the decisions leading to the formulation of the goals were taken within small circles. The World We Want initiative was launched to gather together global priorities and build a more collective vision.

The idea behind The World We Want is that the global community, and especially people living in developing countries, should have the opportunity to voice their views on the new development goals for 2015.

Eleven areas

The World We Want is divided into 11 thematic areas. Norway, Tanzania and Mexico are responsible for the area of energy. Input is being gathered through conferences and web-based discussion groups. In addition to the 11 thematic areas, discussion groups have been set up for 70 developing countries in which participants can discuss issues specific to their own countries. Information is also being gathered from people who cannot attend the conferences or who do not have access to the Internet consultations due to their location.

The United Nations has referred to The World We Want as one of the largest, broadest dialogues on development policy ever held.