International Day of Clean Energy

On the fourth International Day of Clean Energy , Sustainable Energy for All ( SEforALL ), named by the United Nations as one of the leaders of the Day, is marking the occasion with a series of in-person and digital events. The activations focus on two often overlooked priorities of the global energy transition : clean cooking, which replaces polluting fuels with safer, modern solutions, and new approaches to financing electricity access for communities still without reliable power. Despite global progress, more than 2.1 billion people still rely on polluting fuels such as firewood and charcoal for cooking, exposing families to deadly household air pollution, driving deforestation and accelerating climate change. At the same time, millions of people across Sub-Saharan Africa remain without reliable electricity, limiting economic opportunity and access to essential services. Both challenges are solvable with existing technologies and targeted investment. Four flagship events driving ac...

   On Monday, January 26th , let's  raise awareness and mobilize action for a just and inclusive transition to clean energy for the benefit of people and the planet to mark  International Day of Clean Energy 2026 . Join the observance!

  While the energy transition promises considerable economic, social and environmental benefits, it will not automatically or inevitably yield a just outcome. The transition is taking place within an energy system that already exhibits significant inequalities. Reliable and affordable energy services remain out of reach for hundreds of millions of people in both developing and developed countries, while the ownership of – and economic benefits derived from – energy assets are unevenly distributed. Nations, communities and households most in need lack access to suitable financing and assistance, while the adverse impacts of climate change disproportionately affect marginalised and low-income groups. Meanwhile, these groups continue to struggle to have their voices heard in both national and international decision making. Without the deliberate inclusion of just principles in policy making and implementation, existing structural inequalities may simply be replicated during the energy...

  As the previous sections demonstrated, the world stands on the cusp of a new energy era that can deliver immense economic, climate, and sustainable development benefits. We are presented with an unprecedented moment of opportunity to deliver the policies, frameworks,and infrastructure needed to capitalize on thefalling costs and abundant potential of renewable energy to unlock the transition globally — particularly in developing countries where renewable resources are vast and access needs are greatest. But this window of opportunity will be missed if we fail to act with urgency or to work together. The barriers and challenges outlined in Section 4 must be addressed to accelerate a fast, fair, and funded transition. This section identifies six priority areas for the international community to accelerate the new era of energy power six priority areas for the international community to accelerate the new era of energy power  by renewables, efficiency, and electrification....

Celebrated annually on 26 January, the International Day of Clean Energy, established by General Assembly resolution 77/327, provides a global platform to raise awareness, promote action, and foster international cooperation. In 2026, UN DESA, with support of UN-Energy, will convene a special event co-hosted by the Co-Chairs of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Energy (Denmark, Ethiopia, Norway, and Pakistan). This observance will also mark the launch of the updated Global Plan of Action for the Decade of Sustainable Energy for All until 2030 and contribute to preparations for the SDG 7 review at HLPF 2026. Key priorities of UN-Energy's 2026-2030 Work Programme will also be highlighted in support of these efforts. Related  Documents;  International Day of Clean Energy website  &  Concept Note Watch the special event to mark the International Day of Clean Energy 2026!

Roundtable 3: Enhancing High Standards Without Fragmenting Mineral Markets: A Global Dialogue Beyond the G7. Partners : Paris Peace Forum, Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals, SEforALL. Date & Time : Wednesday, 11 February 2026 | 15:00–16:30. Location Cape Town, South Africa. Website: Event site . As standards-based approaches to critical mineral supply chains gain traction, there is a growing risk of market fragmentation and exclusion of producing countries. This roundtable in the margins of Mining Indaba 2026 will convene producing countries, industry leaders, G7 representatives, and experts to assess evolving governance initiatives, examine risks and opportunities in standards-based markets, explore cooperation opportunities beyond G7 and G20 economies, identify mechanisms to scale responsible investment, and inform the next 2026 French G7 presidency. Contact for expressions of interest: darryn.allan@seforall.org

  Roundtable 2 : Financing Value Addition in Africa: Framework Conditions and Financing Mechanisms to Drive Investment in Clean Energy Transition Mineral Value Chains.  Partners : SEforALL, Council for Critical Minerals Development in the Global South, UNIDO Global Alliance for Responsible and Green Minerals Date & Time : Wednesday, 11 February 2026 | 11:30–13:00 Location Cape Town, South Africa Website:  Event site . Anchored in the objectives of the AU’s African Green Minerals Strategy and the G20 Critical Minerals Framework , the session will bring practical insights and explore models for blended and catalytic finance that can develop the domestic supplier service sector to the mining industry, drive industrial growth based on value addition of minerals, promote technology transfer, and build regional manufacturing ecosystems for key clean energy technologies such as batteries, solar PVs, and EV components. By clarifying what framework conditions are necessary...

Roundtable 1: Energy as an Infrastructure Enabler: Unlocking the Renewables Opportunity for Powering the Minerals Value Chain. Partners : SEforALL, Council for Critical Minerals Development in the Global South, Critical Minerals Africa Group (CMAG) Date & Time : Wednesday, 11 February 2026 | 09:00–10:30 Location Cape Town, South Africa Website:  Event site . Access to reliable, affordable and sufficient energy will underpin countries’ ambitions to attract investment in local beneficiation and value addition projects. Energy is a key infrastructure enabler, and renewables offer an increasingly cost-effective, abundantly available and environmentally sustainable source of energy for many countries in Africa. With industry’s growing sensitivity to ESG and efforts to develop and contract renewable supply, energy sector supply-side and infrastructure planning, and regulatory frameworks need to account for growing demand and build enabling conditions for renewable energy supply ...

Africa stands at the forefront of the global energy transition – not only as a continent endowed with abundant critical minerals but also as a growing market for clean energy solutions and green technologies . Governments across the continent have laid out bold policy visions to industrialize and capture more value from these resources, from battery-grade minerals to electric mobility and renewable energy. However, ambition needs to be matched by implementation, and partnerships will remain fundamental for unlocking investments, infrastructure, and access to technology, know-how and markets. Aligned with Mining Indaba 2026’s theme “Stronger Together: Progress through Partnerships”, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), The Critical Minerals Africa Group , UNIDO’s Global Alliance for Responsible and Green Minerals , and the Council for Critical Minerals Development in the Global South , and the Paris Peace Forum’s Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals, are convenin...

  Clean energy plays a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping communities access reliable power sources, making it integral to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the climate objectives of the Paris Agreement. Yet, progress on SDG7, including universal access to electricity and clean cooking solutions, a substantial increase of renewable energy, and doubling energy efficiency improvements, remains insufficient. As countries worldwide grapple with energy poverty, rising demand, and the pressing need to rapidly decarbonize their energy systems, it is more urgent that ever to mobilize action, strengthen international partnerships, un-lock finance and boost investments as to accelerate sustainable development and progress towards net-zero emissions by 2050. By extending the promotion of the Decade of Sustainable Energy for All up to 2030, the UN General Assembly emphasized global resolve to accelerate progress on SDG7. Building on this strong co...

The International Day of Clean Energy on 26 January was declared by the UN General Assembly (resolution A/77/327 ) as a call to raise awareness and mobilize action for a just and inclusive transition to clean energy for the benefit of people and the planet. On this International Day of Clean Energy, people everywhere are invited to take action in a shared show of commitment to clean, reliable and affordable energy. We are calling this 24 hours for clean energy;The Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) will mark the Day with an ambitious and global slate of activities, and we invite you to be part of it. Here are simple ways for communities, companies and individuals to participate and amplify the call for change. The campaign playbook aims to support individuals, local communities, businesses and the general public to organize events and share information highlighting the need for clean energy and how individual and collective actions can empower change. You can also utilize the asse...

In 2024, more than 90% of all new electricity capacity worldwide came from renewable sources such as solar, wind, hydro and geothermal. Yet even with this significant growth in renewable and other zero-emission capacity, the world is still burning, and increasing its use of, fossil fuels. Geopolitical turmoil and volatile markets are disrupting alliances and trade, creating new hurdles for the clean energy transition. Some countries are backtracking on climate commitments just as global electricity demand is soaring, putting pressure on power grids and making it harder to phase out coal, oil and gas. The biggest challenge now is meeting this growing demand with clean energy while taking fossil fuels offline. The good news is that a clean, abundant, affordable and reliable energy future is possible — if countries can close gaps in finance, policy and infrastructure. Here, we unpack the latest data to show where the clean energy transition stands today — and where it may be headed next....