Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ

About the event

Energy is central to achieving the mutually reinforcing objectives of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The first global stocktake called on Parties to contribute, in a nationally determined manner, to global efforts to triple renewable energy capacity and double the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030, and to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner. These efforts are closely aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), which seeks to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Progress on SDG 7 is fundamental to achieving the broader SDGs, from poverty eradication, food security, health, education, gender equality to economic growth, industrialization and job creation. Financing sustainable energy is therefore a strategic investment in advancing both global climate and sustainable development objectives, generating benefits that extend well beyond the energy sector and accelerating progress towards the Paris Agreement and the entire 2030 Agenda.

Despite notable progress over the past decade, the world remains off track to achieve SDG 7 by 2030. While international public financial flows increased slightly from USD 24.4 billion in 2023 to USD 24.6 billion in 2024, flows to least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS) declined by 11 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Many developing countries continue to face high capital costs, limited access to affordable finance and constrained fiscal space, hindering investment in sustainable energy and limiting its potential to deliver broader development benefits.

Addressing these barriers and closing the SDG 7 financing gap requires both mobilizing additional resources and ensuring that financing is affordable, accessible and directed where it can generate the greatest impact for climate action and across multiple SDGs. Coordinated action by governments, multilateral development banks, international financial institutions, the private sector and development partners is critical to unlock investment and maximize synergies between energy and other development priorities.

In support of these efforts, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ-Energy¡¯s Work Programme 2026¨C2030 identifies four priority areas for accelerated collective action: clean cooking, critical energy transition minerals, digitalization, and gender data in energy. These priorities offer opportunities to align sustainable energy financing with broader development objectives, including improving health and livelihoods, strengthening sustainable value chains, expanding access to energy services and advancing gender equality. Mobilizing affordable and accessible finance in these areas, with supportive policies and strengthened partnerships, can help accelerate progress on SDG 7 while maximizing benefits for climate action and the wider 2030 Agenda.

Recognizing these interlinkages, the SDG 7 Policy Briefs 2026 provide evidence-based policy recommendations for accelerating progress on SDG 7 and strengthening its links with other SDGs. Developed by the SDG 7 Technical Advisory Group, convened by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ DESA, the briefs highlight how sustainable energy can advance poverty eradication, health and education, food security, gender equality, decent work, industrial development, climate action and resilience.

This panel discussion will explore practical solutions to overcome investment barriers, mobilize public and private finance, and strengthen enabling environments to accelerate SDG 7 implementation, unlocking sustainable energy's potential to drive progress across the SDGs, particularly in countries and communities most in need.

Key discussion questions

• What are the major barriers to mobilizing investment in sustainable energy, particularly in developing countries, and what policy and financial measures can help overcome them?
• How can governments, multilateral development banks, the private sector and civil society work together to unlock affordable financing for SDG 7 and maximize its contribution to achieving other SDGs?

Provisional programme

All times are in Antalya local time (UTC+3).

Speakers

Bahareh Seyedi

Moderator

Senior Sustainable Energy and Climate Advisor
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ DESA

Hans Olav Ibrekk

Keynote address

Special Envoy for Climate and Security
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway
Co-Facilitator, SDG 7 Technical Advisory Group

Aishath Aileen Niyaz

Director
Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy, Maldives

Radia Sedaoui

Chief of the Energy Section
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ ESCWA

Sarbojit Pal

Head of Global Matchmaking Platform Secretariat
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵIDO

Divya Kottadiel

Principal Specialist Energy
SEforALL

Damilola Hamid Balogun

Co-Founder & CEO
Youth Sustainable Development Network