The Executive Secretaries of the five UN Regional Commissions have issued a joint statement on accelerated progress towards a just, sustainable, and equitable global energy transition. They underscore their shared commitment to supporting their member States in achieving the SDGs, particularly SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), and in meeting the commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The Joint Statement on Energy Transition by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), issued at the conclusion of the 13th International Forum on Energy for Sustainable Development in Bangkok, Thailand, notes that the regular meetings of the Forum “play a crucial role in advancing the energy transition” by serving as a platform for diverse stakeholders to share best practices, align regional strategies, and “promote actionable solutions for sustainable energy development.”
The 13th International Forum on Energy for Sustainable Development, which convened from 2-4 December 2024, built on the EnergyNow SDG 7 Action Forum in September and leveraged the outcomes of the Baku Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 29).
The statement outlines the Regional Commissions’ unified approach that seeks to “ensure[] that regional insights, experiences, and priorities contribute meaningfully to shaping international energy policies and strategies, driving progress toward a sustainable and inclusive energy future.”
The Executive Secretaries commit to supporting countries in accelerating progress towards impactful outcomes in the areas of:
- Strengthening regional and inter-regional cooperation and policy coherence;
- Ensuring a just energy transition;
- Accelerating the deployment of renewable energy;
- Enhancing energy efficiency across sectors;
- Ensuring viable, equitable, and inclusive access;
- Fostering sustainable investment and financing mechanisms;
- Aligning energy goals with climate action; and
- Leveraging just energy transition for value addition and inclusive development.
They will also advance actions to, inter alia: empower youth participation in regional dialogues; support UN-Energy in mobilizing international efforts, building partnerships, and scaling up finance to achieve SDG 7 and address interlinkages with other SDGs; and ensure a robust regional preparatory process for in-depth review of SDG 7 by the 2026 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). [ESCAP Press Release] [UNECA Press Release]