The International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum (IVECF) brought together more than 1,400 participants from 147 countries in Vienna, Austria, on 9-10 April 2026. Held under the theme “Powering Prosperity, Security and Stability,” the forum focused on green industrialization, sustainable energy and climate resilience as pathways to development, energy and climate goals.
The forum launched the Industry Clean-Tech Platform, a digital one-stop shop designed to connect African industries with clean technology providers, expertise and services. It also announced the Global Programme on Climate-Resilient Renewable Energy Systems in SIDS (G-RES), implemented by UNIDO with USD 13 million from the Global Environment Facility and EUR 2.5 million [about USD 2.8 million] from Austria. According to the source, the programme aims to accelerate investment in resilient renewable energy systems for island value chains including tourism, agriculture and the blue economy.
UNIDO also announced a strategic initiative to support resilient and low-carbon industrial and economic development along the Lobito Corridor. The initiative will help corridor management develop a clean energy vision and strengthen the pooling of regional renewable energy and critical mineral potential for green industrialization.
Finance was a central topic at the forum, with participants calling for wider use of de-risking instruments and for applying the United Nations Multidimensional Vulnerability Index to improve access to concessional finance for least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states. The event also advanced the Global Green Industrialization Agenda, which is due to be unveiled at COP31 in Türkiye, and concluded with the Vienna Call to Action on green industrialization, sustainable energy, climate and security.
The forum also catalyzed partnerships involving UNIDO, including collaborations with the Enel Foundation and the Inter-American Cement Federation. Sierra Leone joined the UNIDO-led Global Alliance for Responsible and Green Minerals. IVECF was co-organized by UNIDO, the Austrian Government and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA).