Access to Energy; Work with SEED

First, the Summit identified “access to energy” as central to the development discussion. Our energy discussions across the street at United Nations headquarters are, therefore, a direct product of the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Second, the Summit was the first UN conference to recognize partnerships, including Supporting Entrepreneurs for Environment and Development, as a means to achieve the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and the Millennium Development Goals.

It's noteworthy that over 200 partnerships were launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Perhaps equally impressive is that the Summit laid the groundwork for future partnerships, including Methane to Markets and the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. Together the WSSD and post-WSSD energy partnerships demonstrate the critical linkages between access to energy for sustainable economic growth, energy security, and environmental benefits including climate change. The success of the Summit and today's action oriented Commission on Sustainable Development are in no small part due to the leadership of Valli and the South African government.

I am pleased to join so many of you here this evening to celebrate the Supporting Entrepreneurs for Environment and Development initiative. Through the initiative's international awards program, capacity-building activities, and research and learning program, SEED is making a real difference in our collective efforts to achieve development goals. Last year we gathered to celebrate the inaugural class of SEED winners, including the “Cows to Kilowatts” partnership. Let me offer my personal congratulations and hopes for the initiative's continued success to Mr. Joseph Adelegan, representing the “Cows” partnership, who is here with us this evening.

Since we are in the Energy Cycle, how appropriate it is that we have Joseph here today. Joseph and his project exemplify the kind of on-the-ground energy service delivery we have been discussing these past two weeks; locally based solutions for local energy challenges. This partnership's goal is to install a biogas plant, operating on run-offs from one of Nigeria 's largest slaughterhouses, in order to create a source of domestic energy, abate water pollution and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Through capacity building support from the SEED Initiative, the “Cows to Kilowatts” partnership has secured almost full funding for the creation of a wastewater treatment and biogas production plant, including $300,000 from UNDP Nigeria. In addition, I understand the government of Nigeria is considering including the project in its National Environmental Sanitation Policy and supporting replication if the pilot project proves successful.

Finally, through the initiative's research and learning efforts and the publication of SEED's first partnership report, we are able to benefit from the best practices and lessons learned from the Cows to Kilowatts partnership as well as from the experiences of the over 200 SEED applicants. Joseph's work also demonstrates the very real linkages between the Commission on Sustainable Development's water and energy cycles.

Like all new partnerships, SEED has experienced its own growing pains. I applaud the progress the initiative has made over the last year growing from a nascent partnership, like the ones it supports, to a mature well-governed initiative. Accomplishing this was in large measure due to Germany 's leadership in its role as the Chair of initiative's Board of Directors, with the support of the World Conservation Union, the United Nations Development Program, and the United Nations Environment Program, and the entire Board of Directors.

The United States is a strong supporter of this initiative. We believe in SEED's mission and in its potential to be an even greater positive influence in advancing the partnership paradigm. Therefore, I'm pleased to announce that the United States will become a major supporting organization for the initiative's 2006-2008 cycle and will provide $100,000 in financial support.

Thank you.