Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all A/RES/74/225 the diversity of national situations, priorities, policies, specific needs and challenges and capacities of developing countries, including their energy mix and energy systems; 5. Calls for ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, as such services are an integral part of poverty eradication measures, human dignity, quality of life, economic opportunity, the combating of inequality, the promotion of health and the prevention of morbidity and mortality, access to education, safe drinking water and sanitation, food security, disaster risk reduction and resilience, climate change mitigation and adaptation, environmental impact reduction, social inclusion and gender equality, including for persons affected by humanitarian emergencies; 6. Underscores the importance of access to cleaner and more efficient and sustainable cooking and heating methods, welcomes ongoing efforts, and in this regard calls for the promotion of an enabling environment at the national and international levels for the increased usage of sustainable, cleaner and more efficient cooking and heating methods in all countries, in particular developing countries; 7. Encourages Governments, the United Nations system and relevant stakeholders to leverage the cost-competitiveness of renewable energy, especially in off-grid areas, in order to achieve universal energy access, such as by establishing policy frameworks for metering and payment systems, requiring cost comparisons between grid extension and off-grid solutions, facilitating investment by domestic and foreign banks and educating students, communities, investors and entrepreneurs on renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation, among other activities, where feasible and appropriate; 8. Recognizes the key role that natural gas currently plays in many countries and its potential to expand significantly over the coming decades to meet demand in some countries as well as in new sectors, such as the transportation sector, supporting transitions towards lower-emission energy systems, and calls upon Governments to enhance energy security through the sharing of best practices and knowledge for the security of gas supply and demand; 9. Supports energy access in accordance with the national needs of developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, to tackle their energy access challenges by identifying the specific needs of each country by mobilizing technical and financial assistance and tools to deploy affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy solutions to tackle the energy access deficit; 10. Calls upon Governments to expand the use of renewable energy beyond the power sector, taking into account national priorities and constraints, to industry, heating and cooling, construction and infrastructure and, in particular, the transport sector, including through sustainable sector coupling and sustainable and modern bioenergy, in the context of sustainable development, including climate change, and calls for supportive policy initiatives and investments at the national and international levels; 11. Recognizes that current global progress in improving energy efficiency falls well below the pace necessary to double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030, and encourages, in accordance with national laws and regulations, the promotion of widespread energy efficiency initiatives in all economic sectors, the adoption and updating of building performance codes and standards, energy efficiency labelling, the promotion of energy management systems, the retrofitting of existing buildings and public procurement policies on energy, among other modalities, as appropriate, as well as the prioritization of smart grid systems, district energy systems and community energy plans to improve synergies among clean and effective 19-22494 5/8