UN-HABITAT
Statement by
Mrs. Axumite Gebre-Egziabher
Director, UN-HABITAT New York Office
On behalf of
Mrs. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka
Under-Secretary-General and
Executive Director
UN-HABITAT
At
Fourteenth Commission on Sustainable Development
New York, 11 May 2006
2
Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The magnitude of energy consumed per capita has become, for good or for bad, one of the key
indicators of modernization, progress and economic development. And it is in our human
settlements, our towns and cities, where the vast bulk of energy is consumed. If cities are the
?engines of growth and development?, our engines, in turn, require energy. And it is in the cities
of the current global economy that energy will be consumed more and more quickly than at any
time in human history.
However, the benefits of modern energy supplies and services are unevenly distributed and have
yet to reach over a third of the global population. People living in poverty have benefited very
little from conventional energy policies. More than two billion people continue to use traditional
fuels for cooking, while two billion more lack electricity.
The urban poor, and especially slum dwellers, are particularly hard hit by the lack of access to
modern energy sources. The urban poor suffer direct physical harm from indoor air pollution.
The urban poor spend a much greater share of their household income on energy than higher
income groups. They have smaller and less predictable incomes, and their appliances are less
energy-efficient. This situation applies particularly to urban poor households headed by women.
Global evidence shows that most expenditure on energy services by the poor is on fuels for
cooking, while the remainder is spent on fuels or batteries for light, typically in an 80/20 percent
ratio. In general, fuelwood provides heating and cooking for the urban poor at a higher cost than
LPG. Likewise, kerosene provides lighting for the urban poor at a higher cost than electricity.
Both the direct cost and opportunity cost of acquiring energy for the urban poor is increased by
having to collect fuelwood and buy charcoal and kerosene in small amounts. And this burden is
disproportionately borne by women and children.
Ways and means to reduce the costs of energy services to the urban poor will be a crucial factor
in our quest to reduce poverty and to meeting the MDGs. Let us be under no illusions. In 1950,
one-third of the world?s people lived in cities. Just 50 years later, this proportion has risen to onehalf
and will continue to grow to two-thirds, or 6 billion people, by 2050. Make no mistake also.
Our projections show that the rate of increase in urban poverty is far outstripping that of rural
poverty and, unless urgent action is taken to reduce urban poverty, the one billion slum dwellers
of today could easily reach two billion within the next 25 to 30 years.
Mr. Chairman,
Let me conclude by saying that we have an excellent opportunity to link our quest for more
affordable, clean and safe energy for the urban poor with MDG 7 on sustainable development,
water and sanitation and slum upgrading. Indeed, the plight of slum dwellers is that their homes
are not legally recognised as houses. Without some form of de jure or de facto recognition,
utilities are reluctant to provide their services, perpetuating a vicious cycle of poverty, low
economic productivity, and missed opportunities for developing a robust energy industry. UNHABITAT?s
mission to provide secure tenure to the urban poor, as the condition sine qua non for
slum upgrading and the provision of clean water and improved sanitation, must be seen in the
context of our deliberations, as a key entry point for providing equitable access to affordable,
clean and safe energy for the poor. It is high time that we stop considering energy as a sectoral
concern and consider energy as a driving force for more sustainable and socially just
development.
I thank you for your kind attention.
Mrs. Axumite Gebre-Egziabher
Director, UN-HABITAT New York Office
On behalf of
Mrs. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka
Under-Secretary-General and
Executive Director
UN-HABITAT
At
Fourteenth Commission on Sustainable Development
New York, 11 May 2006
2
Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The magnitude of energy consumed per capita has become, for good or for bad, one of the key
indicators of modernization, progress and economic development. And it is in our human
settlements, our towns and cities, where the vast bulk of energy is consumed. If cities are the
?engines of growth and development?, our engines, in turn, require energy. And it is in the cities
of the current global economy that energy will be consumed more and more quickly than at any
time in human history.
However, the benefits of modern energy supplies and services are unevenly distributed and have
yet to reach over a third of the global population. People living in poverty have benefited very
little from conventional energy policies. More than two billion people continue to use traditional
fuels for cooking, while two billion more lack electricity.
The urban poor, and especially slum dwellers, are particularly hard hit by the lack of access to
modern energy sources. The urban poor suffer direct physical harm from indoor air pollution.
The urban poor spend a much greater share of their household income on energy than higher
income groups. They have smaller and less predictable incomes, and their appliances are less
energy-efficient. This situation applies particularly to urban poor households headed by women.
Global evidence shows that most expenditure on energy services by the poor is on fuels for
cooking, while the remainder is spent on fuels or batteries for light, typically in an 80/20 percent
ratio. In general, fuelwood provides heating and cooking for the urban poor at a higher cost than
LPG. Likewise, kerosene provides lighting for the urban poor at a higher cost than electricity.
Both the direct cost and opportunity cost of acquiring energy for the urban poor is increased by
having to collect fuelwood and buy charcoal and kerosene in small amounts. And this burden is
disproportionately borne by women and children.
Ways and means to reduce the costs of energy services to the urban poor will be a crucial factor
in our quest to reduce poverty and to meeting the MDGs. Let us be under no illusions. In 1950,
one-third of the world?s people lived in cities. Just 50 years later, this proportion has risen to onehalf
and will continue to grow to two-thirds, or 6 billion people, by 2050. Make no mistake also.
Our projections show that the rate of increase in urban poverty is far outstripping that of rural
poverty and, unless urgent action is taken to reduce urban poverty, the one billion slum dwellers
of today could easily reach two billion within the next 25 to 30 years.
Mr. Chairman,
Let me conclude by saying that we have an excellent opportunity to link our quest for more
affordable, clean and safe energy for the urban poor with MDG 7 on sustainable development,
water and sanitation and slum upgrading. Indeed, the plight of slum dwellers is that their homes
are not legally recognised as houses. Without some form of de jure or de facto recognition,
utilities are reluctant to provide their services, perpetuating a vicious cycle of poverty, low
economic productivity, and missed opportunities for developing a robust energy industry. UNHABITAT?s
mission to provide secure tenure to the urban poor, as the condition sine qua non for
slum upgrading and the provision of clean water and improved sanitation, must be seen in the
context of our deliberations, as a key entry point for providing equitable access to affordable,
clean and safe energy for the poor. It is high time that we stop considering energy as a sectoral
concern and consider energy as a driving force for more sustainable and socially just
development.
I thank you for your kind attention.