Energy and the Millennium Development Goals

What are the Millennium Development goals? In 2000 a large number of countries around the world who form the United Nations agreed on 8 goals they would try to reach by 2030 that would dramatically improve the lives of poor people around the world. They called them the Millennium Development Goals or MDGs

The 8 Millennium Development Goals are… Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty Achieve universal primary education Promote Gender equality and empower women Reduce child mortality Improve maternal health Combat HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases Ensure environmental sustainability Develop a global partnership for development

Energy and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) The United Nation’s Secretary General Ban Ki Moon realised that making sure poor people have energy is essential if we hope to meet the MDGs. He made 2012 the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All ‘ Universal energy access is a foundation for the MDGs…without energy services the poor are cut off from basic amenities’’

Watch this video to find out why energy is so important

What do you use energy for? On separate pieces of paper write down of as many things as you can that you use energy for in your life. In your group see if you can group them together into categories e.g. heating, communicating Feedback to the class

What are the energy needs of people living in poverty? In 2010 Practical Action produced a report called the Poor People Energy Outlook One thing it did was similar to what you have just done, it grouped together what energy is needed for by people living in poverty.

The report said poor people need energy for:  Lighting  Cooking and water heating  Heating a space  Cooling  Information and communication  Earning a living

Energy and the MDGs In your groups see if you can match the MDG goal logo with it’s meaning. Underneath write what you think energy is needed for to reach this goal e.g. match Now think about what energy is needed for to improve maternal health. Use the categories from before to help you. You may have had: Lighting – light is needed in clinics to deliver babies safely at night Cooking and Water heating – for hot water With ? Improved maternal health

A reminder of the problem We know energy vital for poor people to escape poverty and important if we want to achieve the MDGs. The problem is right now, a third of the world’s population has no access to modern energy services. 1/ %

So…to sum up Energy is just about the most important thing poor people need to lift themselves out of poverty. It follows that helping poor people get energy is a must if we hope to meet the MDGs - 8 goals set by the united nations to reduce poverty massively by is the UN International Year of Sustainable Energy for All …spread the word!

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