Wallpapers 2012 - International Year of Sustainable Energy for All

"Recognizing the importance of energy for sustainable development, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2012 the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All through resolution 65/151 ."
 

"Sustainable energy" is energy that is produced and used in ways that support long-term human development in the social, economic and ecological spheres.
 

Ensuring access to sustainable and modern energy is fundamental for sustainable development and poverty reduction, and plays an important role in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Energy must be produced and delivered in a reliable and accessible way to the most disadvantaged households, at an affordable cost, otherwise it will remain out of reach for many developing countries.
 

About 28 percent of people in developing countries currently lack access to electricity, compared to a staggering 70 percent or more in the world's least developed countries (LDCs) and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Additionally, around three million people around the world still rely on solid fuels for cooking. In addition to environmental impacts, the use of firewood, charcoal and agricultural waste for cooking has adverse health effects. Two million deaths each year are associated with burning solid fuels in unventilated stoves. About 44 percent of those who die are children; among adult deaths, 60 percent are women.

Access to energy, particularly sustainable energy, is inseparable from a sustainable future for the developing world. Access to energy not only transforms the lives of those who lack energy resources and improves the standard of living, but also:

•     Enables the generation of income, through the use of solar pumps for irrigation or electricity for a small business.
•     Provides power to community health centers, refrigerators to store medicines, and mobile phones.
•     Reduces the time and hard work of collecting firewood, as well as providing cleaner, more efficient alternatives for cooking and generating heat.
•     Provides lighting so children can study at night.
•     Enables businesses to operate and creates new business opportunities.