VIENNA, Austria, 11 October 2020: Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) on October 5 announced that Francesco Starace, CEO and General Manager of European utility company, Enel, has been appointed Chair of the SEforALL Administrative Board.

SEforALL is a non-profit international organisation that works closely with the United Nations to accelerate and deliver at scale the solutions needed to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) – access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all – by 2030.

With less than 10 years to meet SDG7, and with increasing urgency for the world to get on track to meet the Paris Agreement climate goals, SEforALL said its role in driving a global clean energy transition has never been more important.

Speaking on the announcement, Elizabeth Cousens, Vice-Chair, SEforALL Administrative Board, and President and CEO, UN Foundation, said: “Francesco is a visionary energy leader with a long track record in  driving business ambition around climate action, sustainability and energy access for hundreds of millions of  people around the world who lack it . He is a natural choice for this important role at such a critical moment. With SEforALL’s unique mandate from the UN to drive SDG7 action, in line with the Paris Agreement, his leadership can help support the organization go even further and faster to achieve our goal of universal energy access.”

As Chair of the Administrative Board – the principal governing body of the organisation – Starace will help shape strategy and operations for the organisation at the highest levels, SEforALL said. Starace currently also serves as a member of the UN Global Compact Board of Directors and the Global Commission to End Energy Poverty, SEforALL said. He previously served as a member of the former SEforALL Advisory Board and President of EurElectric, the European association for the electricity industry, it added.

Starace said: “Energy must be at the heart of the global agenda to lead the world on a more sustainable pathway, focusing multi-stakeholder action especially on renewables and energy efficiency, which are key for delivering on the goals of energy access and climate mitigation. I am very proud to join SEforALL and to support its efforts for the clean energy transition and to work together toward achievement of SDG 7.

“My main objective as Chair of the SEforALL Administrative Board will be to cooperate with leading actors to accelerate the critical shift to a more sustainable, modern and accessible energy for all. I have great confidence in SEforALL leadership and its unique strengths to tackle the complexity of the energy challenges and to support ensuring the fundamental right to electricity for everyone, globally.”

The announcement comes after SEforALL recently released a new three-year business plan to help drive scaled action towards sustainable energy for development and energy transitions. The plan, SEforALL said, recognises the need to strengthen global advocacy while expanding activities that prioritise data-driven decision-making, strategic partnerships and country-specific implementation.

Welcoming his appointment, Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy, said: “With ambitious action, we can still achieve SDG7 by 2030, but the next few years are critical to increase energy access – especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. SEforALL’s leadership is pivotal to deliver this vision and why I’m delighted to welcome Francesco Starace as our new Chair of the Administrative Board. Francesco brings incredible experience that can help SEforALL deliver an energy transition that is truly inclusive, equitable and leaves no one behind.”

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