UN chief welcomes rock band's sustainable energy initiative

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Tuesday met here with members from the popular rock band Linkin Park, welcoming their support for his initiative aimed at ensuring universal access to renewable energy by 2030. The Grammy-Award-winning band's members joined the secretary- general at a news conference at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, announcing their involvement in a UN initiative to promote universal access to clean and sustainable energy. "Bands such as Linkin Park, they have a global reach," Ban said. "Millions and millions of people can be reached through their participation and message." The Sustainable Energy for All initiative, launched in Sept., focuses on the vision of achieving universal access to modern energy services, doubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency and doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix, all by 2030. "Sustainable Energy for All Initiative will help us to reduce poverty, drive economic dynamism, reduce the risks of climate change and protect the planet -- all at the same time," Ban said. Currently, more than 1.4 billion people worldwide have no access to electricity, and another billion only have unreliable electricity networks. In total, some 2.5 billion people rely on solid fuels such as coal or traditional biomass for basic cooking and heating, according to UN statistics. "We want to raise visibility of the issue and we want to help spread the word," said Michael Shinoda, the American band's vocalist, keyboardist and guitarist. "We also want to make a difference on the ground. We are enlisting the help of our fans to achieve both." The secretary-general also spoke highly of the band's continuous support for humanitarian causes, including other UN initiatives such as their contribution to the "Not Alone" video, which sought to raise awareness and funds for Haiti after its devastating earthquake last year.