A panel of current and former heads of government, ministers and lawmakers Monday launched a plan for world leaders to propel an "ever-green" energy revolution that could wean the world off fossil fuels, when they meet in Brazil later this year.

China's largest solar farm in Xuzhou City, Jiangsu, a 20 MW mix of fixed panels and tracking systems, went online in 2009. [File photo]

The report of the High-level Panel on Global Sustainability links the United Nations' goals of reducing poverty and inequality to promoting the use of wind, solar and other renewable energy sources to power the economies of rich and poor nations alike.

The report, "Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing," contains 56 recommendations to put sustainable development into practice quickly, moving it from a general concept to the core of mainstream economics.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon accepted the new report in Addis Ababa, where he met with heads of state and government from more than 30 African countries gathered for a two-day African Union Summit.

"Our report makes clear that sustainable development is more important than ever given the multiple crises now enveloping the world," said panel co-chair President Jacob Zuma of South Africa. "With the possibility of the world slipping further into recession, policymakers are hungry for ideas that can help them to navigate these difficult times."

The report urges creation of regional oceans and coastal management bodies that protect world fisheries, which supply 170 million jobs and daily protein for about one in five people on the planet.

The panel advises governments to "enable young people's participation in and influence on decision-making processes at the local, national and international levels. In addition, consultation processes and dialogue should be encouraged to incorporate voices from non-conventional networks and youth communities, such as Internet forums and opinion-making blogs."