In December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2012 the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All, in recognition that access to affordable modern energy services is essential for sustainable development and for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals

The International Year of Sustainable Energy for All presents a valuable opportunity to raise awareness about the issue of energy poverty and demonstrates how better access to clean, safe, affordable energy services can improve the lives of people around the world. It is a call to promote action on energy issues at local, national, regional and international levels toward internationally agreed development goals.

Practical Action has been working for over three decades to provide sustainable energy solutions to those who need them most. People whose daily struggle to fulfil their basic needs can be radically transformed with the aid of simple lighting, heating, cooling, mechanical and communication technologies.

It is therefore vital that we use the opportunity of the 2012 International Year of Sustainable Energy for All to speak for those people who don't have the power to speak for themselves and to campaign for a global commitment to end energy poverty ensuring Energy for All 2030.