Challenges

Following adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, the world continues to explore how to attain the Sustainable Development Goals. Meeting them will require countries to pursue concerted and accelerated actions. Energy is crucial here, from its role in the eradication of poverty through enabling development related to education, water supply and industrialization, to combating climate change. Delivering the energy needed for sustainable development will require implementation of transformational strategies and policies in all countries.

Toward a Solution

The International Forum on Energy for Sustainable Development (IFESD) serves as a platform to discuss most pressing issues in transition to sustainable energy globally, regionally, and nationally and to exchange experiences and best practices in this process. The IFESD-13 held in Bangkok on 2-4 December 2024 under the theme Taking Action for Just Energy Transition brought the following outcomes: 1) Enhanced knowledge and capacity of member States to intensify efforts towards achieving SDG 7 and the Paris Agreement through just energy transition; 2) Strong political commitments by governments and multilateral cooperation to step up and strengthen efforts to support the implementation of the SDGs; 3) Enhanced recognition by Regional Commissions of the importance of just energy transition and commitment to expand support to Member States to help achieve SDG 7 and NDCs.

At the close of IFESD-13, the UN Regional Commissions issued a unified call for accelerated global action to achieve an equitable and sustainable energy future. The Forum brought together government leaders, industry stakeholders, and experts from across five UN regions — Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Asia — to drive forward coordinated action on clean energy and climate goals. A statement issued by the Executive Secretaries of the five Regional Commissions, emphasizes the critical need for swift and inclusive action to address global energy challenges while ensuring sustainable energy for all. The statement emphasizes a commitment to supporting member States in accelerating renewable energy deployment and improving energy efficiency, with a goal to triple global renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency improvement rates by 2030, helping member States meet both SDG 7 and Paris Agreement objectives.

The Regional Commissions are committed to strengthening regional and inter-regional partnerships by encouraging countries to adopt aligned policies, share knowledge and technologies, and collaborate on innovative financing solutions. This cooperative approach can support a just and resilient energy transition and enable countries to tackle climate and energy security challenges more effectively. The statement also prioritizes equitable energy access, with a focus on underserved communities, especially in developing regions. It encourages targeted efforts to empower women in energy decision-making processes and demonstrates a commitment to inclusive and sustainable energy policies that provide benefits for all.

With the world’s rapidly growing energy needs and rising emissions in the face of growing impacts from a changing climate, the issues discussed at the Forum hold promise for supporting member States to implement more sustainable energy solutions and decarbonization efforts. By identifying opportunities in advancing renewable energy and energy efficiency, fostering regional and inter-regional cooperation, and prioritizing equitable access, the UNRCs are supporting the global energy transition and contributing to climate action.

The process of the organization of and preparations for the Forum is deeply participatory, with all five Regional Commissions contributing to the content and logistics. Depending on where the Forum is organized, the Regional Commission, of which the host country is a member State, leads the process.

The primary SDG is SDG7 but the Forum also contributes to achieving many, if not all, other SDGs, in particular SDGs 5, 9, 11, and 13.

One of the Forum sessions was dedicated to the Role of energy efficiency and renewable energy agencies in promoting sustainable energy. The session was jointly organized by UNECE, ESCWA, and ESCAP. The objectives of the workshop were: a) Exchange operational data and information on dedicated renewable energy and energy efficiency agencies in UNECE, ESCAP and ESCWA member States; b) Strengthen the dialogue among stakeholders on key issues, highlighting best practices, lessons learned, and success factors from existing agencies; c) Use the experience of existing agencies as a helpful example for other countries that intend to create EE/RE agencies. One of the background documents for the workshop was a UNECE study Establishing a National Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Agency in Georgia: Comparative Analysis and Strategic Recommendations Based on UNECE Member States’ Experiences. This study provides valuable insights for countries in the UNECE region and beyond. Policy makers and other stakeholders can use information represented in the report to enhance countries’ capacity to harness their renewable energy potential, improve energy efficiency, and contribute to achieving national and international energy goals. The target audience of the workshop was ministries in charge of renewable energy and energy efficiency, dedicated renewable and energy efficiency agencies, private sector, financial institutions, international organizations, and civil society. Representatives of Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Kuwait, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine made presentations at the workshop. Representatives of many other UNECE, ESCWA, and ESCAP member States participated in the workshop and its discussions.

Another Forum event was the Inter-regional seminar on strengthening energy policies of countries with special needs to build back better from COVID-19. The event was organized jointly by ESCAP, UNECE, and ECLAC. ESCAP, UNECE and ECLAC have been collaborating since 2022 in a joint UNDA project to address and synergize the two agendas of sustainable development and the socio-economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by developing SDG 7 roadmaps for eight countries (Armenia, Federated States of Micronesia, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Mongolia, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Uzbekistan) and building capacity of ECLAC region in developing roadmaps. This seminar focused on sharing knowledge and experience from activities implemented under this project in an attempt to enhance capacity of participating countries as well as other countries of these regions that may have experienced similar challenges. The target audience included policymakers (ministries in charge of energy planning and policy development), financial institutions, private sector, and research institutions.

The Forum this year will have its 14^th edition. It is seen by member States and other stakeholders as an important instrument in achieving SDG7 and other SDGs.