EU Statement – UN High Level Political Forum: SDG 7 and interlinkages with other SDGs – Affordable and clean energy

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, dear colleagues,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the EU and its Member States.

With less than five years left until 2030, the world is still not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7: affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, but we have seen important progress. 

Renewable energy is expanding rapidly. But this progress is not yet enough - hundreds of millions of people still live without electricity, and more than two billion people still rely on polluting fuels and technologies for cooking. Energy efficiency is improving far too slowly. And the communities left furthest behind are often the poorest, the most remote, and the most vulnerable to conflict, debt and climate shocks.

Today, SDG 7 must also be viewed through the lens of geopolitics. The global energy landscape has become more fragmented, more volatile and more insecure. Russia’s war against Ukraine and now ongoing instability in the Middle East, including concerns around the Strait of Hormuz, has again illustrated the risks of overdependence on fossil fuel imports and the importance of the energy security. Conflicts, supply-chain pressures, inflation, debt distress and climate extremes are all making the energy transition more difficult, especially for developing countries.

At the same time, this moment has made one thing unmistakably clear: energy security, development and climate action are not separate agendas. They are deeply interconnected. 

For the European Union, this has been a defining lesson. The EU’s response to the energy crisis demonstrated in the long term that accelerating renewables, strengthening energy efficiency, diversifying supply, investing in grids and interconnections, and reducing demand can reinforce both resilience and decarbonisation. 

But Europe’s responsibility does not stop at its own borders. If we are serious about SDG 7, we must do much more to support partner countries, especially in Africa and in fragile contexts. 

At the London Climate Action Week, the EU joined forces with COP31 and COP32 Presidency and other partner countries to expand electrification, and also reduce methane emissions.

The EU’s Global Gateway strategy is a key instrument for delivering on SDG 7 while advancing the broader 2030 Agenda. Through Global Gateway, the EU supports sustainable, high-quality and trusted investments that connect energy with transport, digital, health, education, water, jobs and local value creation. This reflects our 360-degree approach: recognising that energy is not a standalone sector, but an enabler of development across all SDGs. By investing in clean energy generation alongside grids, storage, connectivity, skills, governance and resilient local systems, we aim to maximise positive spillovers for communities, strengthen resilience, and ensure that the green transition also supports poverty reduction, gender equality, climate action and sustainable growth.

Thank you.