During a talk at the World Future Energy Summit in Dubai, United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon outlined his goal to not only bring electricity to places currently without, but also to ensure that the energy we do use is sustainable.

Ki-moon began by describing his own experiences as a young boy in post-war Korea, where access to a single lightbulb allowed him to study at any time during the day. According to the secretary general, one in five people currently does not have access to modern electricity.

"But, ending energy poverty is only one half of the energy equation," he said. "Sustainable development needs sustainable energy."

To that end, Ki-moon unveiled a three-part sustainable energy plan, with the goal of achieving all three points by 2030. It includes: providing access to modern electricity to every person in the world, doubling the rate of energy efficiency improvement, and doubling the amount of renewable energy we use.

While those goals may sound ambitious, Ki-moon provided the example of mobile technology as a model to follow.

"Sustainable energy for all is within our reach," he explained. "For those who may doubt, I say look no further than the phenomenal spread of mobile phone technology. It has touched every corner of the world and empowered billions of people — a direct result of innovation, investment and government support.

"We can create a similar paradigm with sustainable energy."

Image courtesy Broddi Siguroarson