INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY071As we stand on the threshold of a sustainabilityrevolution, it is that starting point that we need to findonce again so that we can show people the potentialwhich the future holds; to excite them about theopportunities a sustainability revolution offers. I amnot for one minute suggesting that we can recreate theGreat Exhibition, but I am very pleased to announcethat, this year, with the help of some generous andforward-thinking partners, I am launching a newinitiative which will demonstrate to people that"starting point" towards a sustainable future.Called simply "Start", this initiative will echo the ideabehind the Great Exhibition by showing people thetechnologies, techniques and principles that exist now,which will not only improve our lives, but also help theplanet sustain us, all by operating more in harmonywith Nature's processes and cycles than against them.It will neither lecture nor hector; but instead willdemonstrate and explain in ways that everyone canunderstand using everyday language. Just as the Great Exhibition used the tools of industrialrevolution (such as the Railways and iron buildings),"Start" will use the tools of the modern age - theInternet and television - to demonstrate to people howit is possible to adopt more sustainable behaviour and,put simply, to do their "bit". The hope is that I can tourparts of the UK by train - using a diesel locomotivepowered by sustainable fuel - in order to celebrateexamples of how villages, towns and cities are already"starting" to operate more sustainably.I am pleased to say that the project already has thesupport of many good friends from the world ofentertainment and sport - too many to name here. Withthe support of the advertising agency, Fallon, they willhelp us communicate the message in the mostaccessible way possible, making it fun as well asinformative for everybody. The initiative is also beingbacked by some of the biggest names on the HighStreet - many of whom are represented here today -including B&Q, ASDA, M&S, BT, Virgin Money, IBM,Addison Lee and EDF Energy, and to them all I want toexpress my heartfelt thanks. My hope is that "ProjectStart" will change the tone and the language ofsustainability. Instead of "stopping", we will Start! nThese remarks by HRH The Prince of Wales areexcerpted from his speech at the launch of "Start" -an initiative of The Prince's Charities Foundation - on4th February 2010 in Manchester. "Start" is aPublic/Private/NGO partnership which has beencreated in response to research which shows thatwhen it comes to dealing with issues like climatechange and sustainability, people are confused andare looking for information and advice. It is all aboutexploring what is possible: from the cheapest andsimplest to the most complex and futuristic; fromquick fixes to long-term solutions. For moreinformation visit: www.startuk.orgIn 1849, at the very zenith of the IndustrialRevolution, my great great great Grandfather, PrinceAlbert, held a meeting at the Royal Society of Arts tocall for a Great Exhibition, which would demonstrate topeople all the wonders of the modern world. He sawthat by showing people the future in an exciting way,they would not be afraid of it and instead would see theadvantages it could bring. He said the Great Exhibitionwould, if nothing else, be, and I quote: "a new startingpoint from which all nations would be able to directtheir further exertions".

" "SOME 1.6 BILLION PEOPLELIVE WITHOUT ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY. IT AFFECTS THEIR HEALTH. IT AFFECTS CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. ITKEEPS PEOPLETRAPPED INPOVERTYe must rapidly increase funding fordeploying green energy technologies, saysBan Ki-moon, Secretary-General of theUnited Nations, at the opening of "Energyfor Development" - an event for the launch of thereport of the UN Advisory Group on Energy and ClimateChange (AGECC) on 28 April 2010.I convened this group [Advisory Group on Energy andClimate Change] for one important reason: we musturgently transform the global energy system. Thedecisions we make today on our energy future will havefar-reaching consequences - for climate change, fordevelopment, for economic growth and global security. Later this year I will convene a Summit to reviewprogress towards the Millennium Development Goalsand to form an action plan for the time that remainsbefore the agreed 2015 deadline. Among the many issues on the agenda, energy must behigh among them. As the title of today's eventemphasises, we need energy for development. Some1.6 billion people live without access to electricity. Itaffects their health. It affects children's education. Itkeeps people trapped in poverty. Reliable access to affordable energy is essential foreconomic growth and meeting the MDGs. Achievingthe Goals also means putting the brakes on climatechange. We need to grow, but we need to grow green.We need to provide affordable energy to all, and weneed to stop the rise in greenhouse gas emissions. It isa massive challenge, but it can be done. We can provide access to basic modern energy serviceswithout significantly increasing greenhouse gasemissions. The answer lies in scaling up renewableenergy and other low-emissions technologies. Theanswer lies in investing in energy efficiency - the mostcost-effective way of cutting energy intensity. Toachieve these objectives, countries need to create a predictable, long-term policy environment forinvestment. We must dramatically increase private andpublic spending on research and development. And we must rapidly increase funding for deployinggreen energy technologies. We need a clean energyrevolution - in developing countries, where energydemand is rising rapidly, and in the developed world,where there are the greatest opportunities for cuttinggreenhouse gas emissions. Addressing the energy challenge is beyond the reach of governments alone. We will need enhancedinternational cooperation and coordinated actionwithin the United Nations system. Institutional and human capacity will need to be developed orstrengthened. And all sectors of society will need to beengaged: the private sector; civil society; internationalorganisations and the world of academia and research.Only by working together can we solve the energy andclimate challenge. Last year's climate change conference in Copenhagensucceeded in advancing global efforts to addressclimate change. But we still have a long way to go,especially on the issue of energy. For any global climate agreement to be effective andequitable it must address energy access for the poor.This is essential for sustainable development. It is withthese issues in mind that I set up this Advisory Group last year. I commend the Group's work, and particularly the members of this Group for their active participationand valuable contributions and I also thank the UnitedNations [Foundation] for its strong support. nRight: Secretary-Generalof the United Nations,Ban Ki-moonOUR FUTURE LIES IN GREEN TECHNOLOGIES072INNOVATION TECHNOLOGYBY BAN KI-MOON, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONSWPhoto: United Nations Photo