Remarks Of Ambassador Gene Cretz At The Launch Of The Sustainable Energy Network Ghana
Honorable Deputy Minister of Energy and Petroleum John Jinapor;
Dr. Ofosu-Ahenkorah, Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission;
Ms. Ruby Sandhu-Rojon, UN Resident Representative;
Mr. Ishmael Edjekumhene, Chair of the Sustainable Energy Network Ghana;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
It is a pleasure to be here today and to meet with this exciting group of energy practitioners, who are building the network needed to lead to a sustainable energy transformation in Ghana. Access to viable, modern energy services is fundamental to supporting a country's efforts to meet nationally-defined goals of sustainable development. Stable and secure energy supplies improve education and health services and lead to job and wealth creation.
Promoting energy transformation and renewable energy is a top priority of the U.S. Government. Since 2009, the Obama Administration has invested over $90 billion dollars to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives and projects in the United States. The U.S. Government is a key partner in the UN Secretary General's Sustainable Energy for All initiative (SE4ALL), which aims to achieve three aspirational goals by 2030: (1) universal access to modern energy services; (2) double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and (3) double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
The Sustainable Energy for All initiative is new multilateral effort that has brought together many stakeholders under the joint leadership of the UN Secretary General and the President of the World Bank. This public-private partnership seeks to catalyze concrete actions on the ground that can promote and foster the enabling policy and regulatory environments needed to increase investments in sustainable energy. Today's launch is yet another manifestation of what can happen when governments, private sector companies, and civil society organizations work together in pursuit of a common goal.
I would like to take this opportunity to applaud the Government of Ghana for being a leader in the Sustainable Energy for All global discussions. Ghana was the first country to complete its Country Action Plan and to submit it for consideration at the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development last year.
I would like to recognize the critical contribution of Professor Dr. Abeeku Brew-Hammond, who tragically passed away earlier this year. Dr. Brew-Hammond was a tireless champion of the people of Ghana and for goals of Sustainable Energy for All. He personally led the formation of Ghana's country action plan. Although I regret not having had the opportunity to get to know him, I was told he was a compassionate colleague and a devoted mentor to many in Ghana's renewable energy and energy access community. While we mourn the loss of a true champion, I encourage everyone in this room to live up to the legacy that Dr. Brew-Hammond has left behind and ensure the effective implementation of the Country Action Plan in meeting the goals of the initiative.
As a key partner in Ghana's development, the U.S. government has committed joint efforts under the Partnership for Growth initiative. As one of only four countries selected for this initiative, Ghana is working closely with the United States. Technical experts from both countries have identified access to reliable power as a key binding constraint to Ghana's sustainable and broad-based economic growth. Without reliable power, businesses, especially small and medium sized enterprises, struggle to survive, as any margins are wiped-out by the cost of running diesel generators. We are working with our colleagues in the Government of Ghana to identify and address key reforms needed to spur investments in the power sector that would increase the country's total generation capacity, and improve the reliability of Ghana's power transmission and distribution systems.
One component of the Partnership for Growth focuses on rural electricity access and increasing the share of renewable energy in Ghana's total energy mix - which is in direct alignment with the Sustainable Energy for All initiative. By working with the private sector and other partners, we are determined to address the technical, financing, institutional, and regulatory challenges that hold back investments, both public and private, in renewable power generation, in off-grid electricity, and in clean cooking fuel availability.
The Sustainable Energy Network Ghana (SENG) is a part of the UN Foundation's global Energy Access Practitioner Network. Today's event is particularly special since Sustainable Energy Network Ghana is the first country affiliate of the global network to be formally launched since its inception in 2011. The work of network members in Ghana cover a range of approaches from village level electrification using solar photovoltaic technology to biomass-based solutions to small-scale lighting solutions intended to help with replacement of the use of kerosene and candles.
Members are drawn from both the private and civil society sectors, although they focus on a predominantly market-led approach to providing energy solutions. Many members focus not only on delivering the economic development benefits resulting from the use of improved energy access solutions, but also work to enhance the welfare of women and their families across the country.
I applaud the members of the Sustainable Energy Network Ghana and wish you well as you continue your noble mission under this new umbrella to provide market-based solutions to very significant challenges. During my relatively short time in Ghana, I have witnessed the importance of working together to overcome obstacles, particularly in the energy sector. I hope that this network will catalyze the promotion of energy transformation and renewable energy in Ghana.
Thank you for your attention and for including me in this event.