The 2026 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July will conduct in-depth reviews of progress towards five SDGs. SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) is one of these Goals. In preparation for the review, this Policy Brief reflects on the status of SDG 7 and its interlinkages with other Goals as the deadline for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development draws near.

When UN Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs in 2015, they agreed to use the next 15 years to achieve access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. Widely recognized for its transformative role in eradicating poverty and improving people’s lives, SDG 7 is also instrumental for achieving the Paris Agreement on climate change. After more than a decade of implementation, in July, Member States will carry out its in-depth review for the third time.

Among other resources, the SDG 7 review at HLPF 2026 will draw from the UN Secretary-General’s annual SDG progress report, the SDG progress report by the UN Statistics Division, scheduled for launch on 7 July 2026, and the 2026 global SDG assessment by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) – a non-profit operating under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General.

Several SDG 7-specific inputs will inform the review as well. The 2026 edition of the Energy Progress Report, published by the SDG 7 custodian agencies – the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Statistics Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO), features new 2023 and 2024 data. The report offers a global dashboard to register progress on energy access, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and international cooperation to advance SDG 7.

Overall, the report finds that while there is significant progress, it is not happening fast enough. While most regions are approaching universal energy access, in Sub-Saharan Africa, over 560 million still lack electricity, and 970 million have no access to clean cooking. For Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve universal access by 2030, the pace of electrification would need to triple.

While renewables supply more than 30% of electricity globally, there are significant regional disparities, and renewables’ share in heat and transport remains limited, according to the report. Progress on energy efficiency has slowed from 2.4% in 2022 to 1.5% in 2023. At the same time, increases in international public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy were marginal – fromUSD 24.4 billion in 2023 to USD 24.6 billion in 2024.

The 2026 SDG 7 Policy Briefs, compiled by the multistakeholder SDG 7 Technical Advisory Group (TAG) in support of the SDG 7 review by HLPF 2026, provide evidence-based policy recommendations for accelerating SDG 7, highlight its interlinkages with other Goals, and offer regional perspectives on SDG 7 advancement. Convened by DESA, the SDG 7 TAG is composed of over 40 experts from governments, UN organizations, international organizations, and other stakeholders.

Both the Energy Progress Report and the SDG 7 Policy Briefs will be launched in the margins of HLPF 2026 on 8 July, during a special event on ‘Implementing the Global Plan of Action for the Decade of Sustainable Energy for All to 2030.’ During this special event, UN Energy will also launch its Work Programme for 2026-2030, setting out priority areas for accelerated action for achieving SDG 7. On 2 July, DESA and UN-Energy will convene a webinar to discuss these publications in the context of accelerating progress on clean and affordable energy.

Key messages from the SDG 7 Expert Group Meeting, which convened in March 2026 in preparation for the review of SDG 7, will also support the deliberations at HLPF 2026.

During the HLPF’s review of SDG 7, UN Member States will consider how to make progress on energy access, renewable energy, and energy efficiency more equitable and inclusive, including by strengthening international cooperation and dialogue on energy to accelerate progress in an increasingly fragmented global context. They will explore policy, financing, and institutional approaches to accelerate progress at scale while generating synergies with other SDGs. Countries will discuss ways to overcome structural, financial, and governance barriers to progress, the role of data and risk assessment in lowering the cost of capital for SDG 7 investments, and opportunities for integrated strategies and innovative solutions to strengthen synergies across the SDGs to drive transformative change in energy systems.

HLPF 2026 will convene in New York, US, from 7-15 July. In addition to SDG 7, it will review SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals). The HLPF’s 2026 theme is ‘Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for a sustainable future for all.’ [HLPF 2026]