Theguardian iconTheguardianSep 23, 2026 ~5 min source read

Open letter urges world leaders and publics to deliver universal solar power by 2030

A coalition of public figures, activists and practitioners calls for rapid deployment of cheap solar, wind and batteries to provide clean, affordable electricity for everyone by the end of the decade.

Our message to global leaders: we need solar power everywhere by the decade’s end | Open letter

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The letter asks governments, businesses and the public to deliver clean, affordable electricity to everyone by 2030, citing falling costs for solar, wind and batteries.

Signatories propose two actions: fund access to electricity for the roughly one in ten people without reliable power, and build a mass movement to force governments off new fossil projects and onto large-scale clean power.

Concrete organizing items include a requested donation figure — $15 to supply one person with clean electricity for a generation — and a planned Sun Day on 20 June to celebrate and accelerate solar deployment.

A public open letter published as world leaders gather at the UN calls for a global push to "repower the world with cheap, clean energy" and to deliver reliable electricity to everyone by 2030. The appeal is addressed to governments, businesses, institutions and individuals, with two specific demands: build clean power for everyone, and create a movement large enough to compel governments to stop new fossil-fuel projects and start large-scale clean-energy systems.

Why signatories say this is realistic now

1) Build clean power for everyone: The authors frame this as both an equity and emissions priority. They highlight that nearly one in ten people still lack regular electricity and urge those who can afford it to donate. The letter states a concrete giving benchmark: $15 can provide access to clean electricity for one person for a generation.

2) Build power to force government action: The letter calls for collective political pressure so leaders stop approving new coal, oil and gas infrastructure and instead deploy clean systems at scale. Individual donations and household solar matter, the authors say, but systemic government action is required to reshape national and global energy systems quickly.

The letter identifies 20 June — near the northern hemisphere summer solstice, the day with maximal solar potential — as "Sun Day," a day to celebrate solar power and accelerate the shift. The organizers present this as a focal point for public action and visibility to push political leaders.

The open letter is signed by a broad mix of public figures, climate campaigners and practitioners. Named signatories in the published list include Christiana Figueres, Jane Fonda, Danny Kennedy, Catherine McKenna, Alex Honnold, and others working in policy, advocacy, community organizing and content creation.

This is a public mobilization document: it combines appeals for small individual financial contributions with a campaign demand for political change. The central target is a clear, time-bound outcome — clean, affordable electricity for everyone by 2030 — supported by examples of fast deployment and a symbolic Sun Day to concentrate public action.

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