SEforALL Launches 24-Hour Clean Energy Campaign Across Africa, Europe
Oriarehu Bonny
In celebration of the 4th International Day of Clean Energy, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) will today launch a 24-Hour Clean Energy campaign, marking the occasion with a series of physical and virtual events to drive clean energy advocacy and action across Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and the globe.
As part of the commemoration, SEforALL, which the United Nations has named one of the leaders of the Day, will launch a 24-hour clean energy campaign along with three events spanning two continents.
With the objective of driving global action for clean energy on a massive scale, the activations focus on two often overlooked priorities of the global energy transition: clean cooking, which replaces polluting fuels with safer, modern solutions, as well as new approaches to financing electricity access for communities still without reliable power.
Despite significant progress globally, more than 2.1 billion people still rely on polluting fuels such as firewood and charcoal for cooking, which exposes families to deadly household air pollution, drives deforestation and accelerates climate change. At the same time, Sub-Saharan Africa remains without reliable electricity, which limits economic opportunity and access to essential services. Driven by its unyielding belief that both challenges are solvable with existing technologies and targeted investment, the four flagship events will drive action from local to global change.
In Lagos, Nigeria, SEforALL will convene policymakers, private sector leaders and community stakeholders for an in-person Clean Cooking Experience focused on accelerating Nigeria’s clean energy transition. The event will combine a policy roundtable with hands-on demonstrations of clean cooking technologies available in the Nigerian market, highlighting the health, climate and economic benefits of transitioning away from polluting fuels.
In Vienna, Austria, SEforALL will bring together ambassadors, government officials, international partners, youth leaders and the media for a high-level event focused on clean cooking in schools. The programme will feature a panel discussion, a photo exhibition and a reception showcasing how clean cooking solutions can improve health, protect the environment and strengthen education outcomes for millions of children worldwide.
SEforALL will also mark the fifth anniversary of the Universal Energy Facility (UEF) with the event showing how funding, paid out once results are delivered, is expanding electricity access across Sub-Saharan Africa. The programme will feature the announcement of a new European Union and Danish Government–funded initiative to accelerate private-sector investment in green mini-grids in Sierra Leone and open a call for applications.
