Global Citizen summit targets finance reform, renewable energy scale-up

TimesLIVE

8 hours ago

Global Citizen, the world's leading advocacy organisation dedicated to ending extreme poverty, has announced that its flagship action summit, Global Citizen NOW, will take place at CaixaForum Sevilla in Spain on June 29.
The event will convene ahead of the UN's Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4).
Hosted in partnership with the Spanish government, the summit will gather leaders across sectors to drive ambitious action on poverty and the climate crisis.
The summit will serve as a strategic catalyst and global platform to shape the action coming out of FfD4 and advance an ambitious agenda for financing reform and international co-operation. It will feature dynamic high-level panels and highlight the urgent need for investments in renewable energy across Africa and transformative investments in development finance.
Pedro Sánchez, President of Spain, said the UN's FfD4 is a critical opportunity that could not be more timely.
'World leaders need to work together within the multilateral framework to reshape the global financial architecture so it works for everyone, especially the world's most vulnerable.
'Spain is proud to co-host Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla to drive bold, co-ordinated action to tackle the world's biggest challenges and mobilise ambitious initiatives for sustainable development,' said Sánchez.
The summit will serve as a key moment in Global Citizen's year-long scaling up renewables in Africa campaign, in partnership with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President Cyril Ramaphosa, with policy support from the International Energy Agency.
The campaign aims to secure commitments from governments, the private sector and multilateral banks towards tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, support the creation of 500,000 new energy jobs, and address the unmet energy needs of 600-million people who don't have electricity on the continent. It will culminate in a pledging conference in November alongside the G20 summit.
'Our global financial system was not designed to meet today's challenges. It must evolve to reflect the realities of a world in crisis,' said Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados.
Mottley said from unsustainable debt burdens to the escalating climate emergency, too many nations are being asked to do more with less.
'The Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla summit is a vital platform to champion equitable financing, accelerate renewable energy transitions across Africa and SIDS, and advance the systemic reforms our world urgently needs. Now is the time for co-operation and decisive action for people and planet,' she said.
Co-Founder and CEO of Global Citizen Hugh Evans said Global Citizen NOW: Sevilla will showcase international co-operation at a time when the world so urgently needs it.
'The future of financing global development demands radical efficiency, as we need to do more with less to deliver the impact that is needed to end extreme poverty around the world,' Evans said.
The summit will be hosted by Nomzamo Mbatha, actress, humanitarian and Global Citizen ambassador. Previous editions of Global Citizen NOW have been held in New York, Melbourne and Rio de Janeiro. Later this year, the summit series is expected to expand its global footprint and also head to Detroit, Michigan, Belém, Brazil and Johannesburg.