HLPF 2025: Advancing the Energy Transition in the Global South

NOTE: To attend this official HLPF side-event in person, you must be accredited for the High-level Political Forum () 2025 or register in advance for a UN-issued special event pass. Please ensure that the name you use during registration exactly matches the name on the government-issued ID you will present when entering UN grounds. In-person registration closes on July 9, 2025; however, same-day entry will be available for HLPF-accredited attendees without a special event pass, subject to capacity. All external registrations are subject to the event organizers' final approval.

To advance the SDG agenda and comprehensively achieve SDG 7, which focuses on ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all, the global energy transition must be mobilized through inclusive, equitable, and region-specific strategies that prioritize economic growth, collaboration, and investment in clean energy infrastructure.

This 75-minute event will focus on the current landscape of clean energy development in the Global South and foster productive dialogue around the challenges and opportunities that are faced. It will convene a multi-disciplinary cohort of leaders from government, academia, and civil society to discuss key themes of:

1. How to create lasting, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth in the region through clean energy development,
2. How to create full and productive employment opportunities, and
3. How to strengthen cooperation between regional and international partners.

Organized by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions (SDSN), in partnership with the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GElDCO), the program will feature successful case studies, innovative models, and data-driven solutions to illustrate practical and scalable solutions to clean energy pathways.

This event will feature simultaneous interpretation in English and Chinese with global live broadcast via UN Web TV.

Introductory statements by representatives of the co-convening organizations, outlining the objectives of the event and situating it in the broader context of the HLPF and the SDG timeline.

Through a technical armchair discussion, this segment will detail opportunities and challenges for a comprehensive energy system transformation in the Global South.

This moderated panel will feature senior representatives from Permanent Missions, UN bodies, science organizations, and implementation actors. It will focus on both the current state of the energy transition in the Global South and how advancing the energy transition can foster economic growth. Panelists to be announced.

This segment will be an opportunity for the audience to share questions with the panelists and reflections from the session.

Brief closing remarks from the co-conveners or other high-level representatives will highlight pathways for continued collaboration, future opportunities for advancing the energy transition in the Global South, and alignment with the SDG agenda.

Also check out other Business events in New York, Arts events in New York, Theatre events in New York.