Science Summit at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78)

Abstract

It is universally acknowledged that energy is synonymous with sustainable development globally, but experts' predictions indicate that the reserves of the currently dominant non-renewable energy sources are rapidly depleting. Besides the potential global energy shortages that may arise from the ongoing reckless consumption of non-renewable energy sources, their usage has been proven to have significant detrimental effects on the environment.

While this is often classified as a global challenge, the direct impacts on continents such as Africa which are dominated by developing countries are more pronounced. This is perhaps why the United Nations continues to advocate the concepts of sustainable energy to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

While it is possible to realise the desired economic, societal and environmental outcomes within the framework of the sustainable development goals by the creation and application of sustainable energy resources, this will heavily rely on the implementation of collaborative strategies (especially in the areas of knowledge sharing) between the developed and developing nations.

Ideally, such strategies should initially focus on frameworks that would ease the implementation of sustainable energy policies, as well as identify limiters and enablers to such policies. Therefore, the symposium provides an avenue for interactions between industry, academia and Governments from countries at different stages of implementing clean energy practices to foster knowledge and experience exchange.

The symposium will cover the following themes, although additional topics that align with the main themes will also be covered:
• Clean energy sources
• Clean energy development policies
• Energy transition, efficiency and utilisation
• Energy consumption prediction and optimisation
• Key technologies for smart energy management
• Reliability and maintenance of clean energy systems