Issue date: 27 Feb, 2012
The United Nations General Assembly has designated 2012 as the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All and to endorse this event a commemorative stamp is issued wide spreading this universal message
For over four decades international meetings on the environment have been held in which new models of economic and environmental development have been put forward. In this framework, renewable energy obtained from endless natural sources such as water, sun or wind, besides the use of cleaner technologies have been goals to target. Sustainable energy for all combines these challenges with the goal of low pollution emissions trying to meet the needs of the present without compromising those of future generations.
Sustainable energy is defined as "the energy produced and used in ways that support long-term human development in a social, economic and ecological scale." Therefore, the use of this energy is linked to a sustainable future for development and poverty alleviation. As part of the "Sustainable Energy for All" initiative, the UN has launched a new global Energy Access Practitioner Network will focus on both household and community level electrification for productive purposes, incorporating specific market-based applications for health, agriculture, education, small business, communities and household solutions. We mustn’t forget that more than 3,000 million people rely on traditional biomass and coal as primary energy sources and a further 1,400 million have no access to electricity.
The International Year of Sustainable Energy for All provides an opportunity to raise awareness on the importance of ensuring universal access to modern energy services, improving energy efficiency and increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
The stamp, designed by Estudio Jesús Sánchez, focuses on the use of endless natural sources such as wind and solar. The term "for all" is represented by the ability to produce energy in an isolated self-sufficient environment such as the lighted cabin making use of the above mentioned natural resources.
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