At the 80th UN General Assembly and Climate Week NYC 2025, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) promoted equitable access, industrial development and financing innovations to accelerate the global clean energy transition. The organization’s delegation, led by CEO and UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All, advanced initiatives including Mission 300 and the Energy Compacts framework to support progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7).
SEforALL launched the global EmPower campaign, aiming to reposition clean energy as a foundation for economic transformation. The campaign debuted with a live broadcast and a digital billboard in New York’s Times Square. It will run through 2030 to promote awareness, resource mobilization and collective action for universal energy access and clean cooking solutions.
During the “Unstoppable Africa” event by the Global Africa Business Initiative, SEforALL led sessions on African-led green energy investments and industrialization. Discussions focused on clean power, local value chains and financing mechanisms, with five dedicated breakout sessions addressing key areas such as green hydrogen, energy finance, and clean cooking.
A high-level roundtable on “Minerals to Manufacturing” highlighted SEforALL’s Green Industrialisation Hub and showcased findings from Nigeria’s critical minerals demand–supply assessment. Participants discussed strategies to build clean technology value chains in the Global South by linking mineral resources to domestic manufacturing.
SEforALL also hosted a partner meeting with the Permanent Mission of Iceland to the UN, focusing on just and data-informed planning for energy transitions in developing economies. The session addressed strategies to achieve SDG7 by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Seventeen new African countries joined Mission 300, bringing the total to 29. Countries including Benin, Botswana, Ethiopia, and Kenya unveiled national Energy Compacts outlining their commitments to expand electricity access by 2030.
The fourth edition of the Energy Compacts Report was released, showing that total pledges now amount to USD 1.6 trillion, with USD 284 billion already mobilized. Since 2021, 285 million people have gained electricity access, and 33 million have gained clean cooking access.
At the SDG7 Action Forum, SEforALL hosted a session on 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy procurement to support a just transition. Discussions explored how aligning every hour of electricity demand with clean supply can decarbonize power systems while promoting reliability and fairness.
Additional sessions addressed corporate climate commitments, the role of AI in equitable transitions, and the importance of clean cooking access, particularly in schools. Examples from Sierra Leone, Madagascar and Tanzania demonstrated scalable partnerships for addressing energy poverty.
As co-lead of the Gender and Energy Compact, SEforALL emphasized the need for standardized sex-disaggregated energy data. Policy briefs launched at the forum outlined indicators for tracking gender impacts in the energy transition. The organization also convened a session on employment strategies for women, featuring initiatives from Iceland, India and Kenya.
SEforALL’s initiatives received global media coverage, with features in TIME, The New York Times, BBC, Reuters and CGTN America. The organization’s CEO was recognized in the 2025 Forbes Sustainability Leaders list for her leadership in climate action and inclusive energy transition.
