Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2025
2025-06-25 14:00 - 16:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | virtual
How many people around the world today still lack access to clean energy? And how many people still rely on dirty fossil fuels for cooking, risking their health in consequence? Additionally, how much international funds have been flowing to the developing countries in support of their clean energy development?
The answers to these questions are related to the targets set forth in the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, which aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy by 2030.
Join the virtual briefing to learn more about the latest data that will be revealed in the new Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2025.
While progress has been made, it is marked by wide regional disparities, underscoring the urgency for more impact-driven financing support from the international community to developing countries.
Key trends ahead of the data release include:
- Access to electricity has increased, but progress is uneven across the world.
- Progress is lagging on universal access to clean cooking.
- Renewable energy continued to grow. But installed renewable capacity per capita shows geographic disparities.
- Energy intensity declined but the energy efficiency rate needs major improvement.
- International public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy increased compared to previous years.
- The report is a product of close collaboration among the five SDG 7 custodian agencies.
Please check the agencies’ websites and social media accounts on 25 June for the full report:
- International Energy Agency (IEA): www.iea.org
- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA): www.irena.org
- United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD): https://unstats.un.org/UNSDWebsite
- World Bank: https://trackingsdg7.esmap.org/
- World Health Organization (WHO): www.who.int
The report will also be presented to decision-makers at a special launch event on 16 July 2025 at 1:15pm EDT at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development in New York, open to registered HLPF participants and anyone with a United Nations ground pass, and livestreamed at webtv.un.org.

Webinar: Last Mile Distribution - State of the sector 2025
2025-09-18 13:00 - 14:30 (Africa/Johannesburg)
Join the Global Distributors Collective (GDC) for the global launch of the Last Mile Distribution (LMD): State of the sector 2025 report!
This session will unpack fresh data on business trends in the LMD sector, product reach, and customer impact. It will also explore key challenges and opportunities faced by GDC members, as well as recommendations for stakeholders looking to work more closely with distributors moving forwards.
This is an interactive session featuring a presentation from the GDC team as well as firsthand insights from GDC members and sector experts. After the plenary session concludes (at the 60-minute mark) we'll disperse into optional, thematic breakout group discussions to engage informally on topics such as access to finance, productive uses of energy, inclusive business models, and more.
The GDC Last Mile Distribution: State of the sector 2025 is funded with UK aid from the UK government, via the Transforming Energy Access platform.

Webinar - The path to universal energy access in an era of shrinking aid
2025-10-08 15:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Amsterdam)
Achieving universal energy access looks more challenging than ever. Faced with geopolitical and domestic pressures, traditional donor countries, including the United States, the UK, France, and Germany have slashed their aid budgets and redirected their focus to defence and deficit reduction.
What does this mean for the 600-plus million people who remain without electricity in Africa?
The answers are complex. African governments and private sector representatives are seeking to reduce reliance on foreign aid, emphasising home-grown solutions to further electrification as a key step to improve the lives of Africans. Additionally. whilst aid from western nations is declining, there are signs that countries from across the Middle East and Asia are stepping up to bridge the gap, raising questions about the political influence they may seek in return.
If you find these issues fascinating, join the panel of experts to exchange knowledge and chart the way forward for rural electrification and universal energy access in Africa.
Main themes in this webinar:

Find out how governments across Africa are adapting to achieve universal energy access on their own terms
Understand the role of renewable energy and decentralised models in bolstering electrification and economic development across the continent
Learn more about commercially sustainable models that seek to accelerate the rate of electrification whilst reducing reliance on aid and subsidies.

Anita Otubu

Senior Director
UEF at SEforALL

Olamide Niyi-Afuye

Chief Executive Officer
AMDA

Webinar - IEA Financing electricity access in Africa
2025-11-24 16:00 - 17:15 (Europe/Paris)
Access to electricity is a cornerstone of economic development, poverty reduction and social equity. However, almost 600 million people in Africa lack access to electricity today, with progress falling far behind the targets set by both African governments and the international community.
In a new report, Financing Electricity Access in Africa, the IEA provides in-depth analysis of the spending required to close this gap. Based on first-of-its-kind tracking of public and private investment flows, it outlines the financial measures needed to achieve universal access.
This online event will present the key findings of the report, followed by a panel discussion on key challenges and potential solutions. The discussion will feature insights from a range of stakeholders working to expand electricity access across the continent. This will be followed by an interactive Q&A session.

Webinar: Lessons on subsidy design for expanding energy access in humanitarian and displacement settings
2025-12-11 16:00 - 17:15 (Africa/Johannesburg)
The Global Platform for Action (GPA) and the End-User Subsidy (EUS) Lab, with support from NORCAP, have developed a new report, “Leveraging Subsidies to Achieve SDG 7 in Humanitarian Emergency and Displacement Settings,” which analyses in depth 5 case studies across 5 countries. The upcoming webinar will present high-level findings and real-world learnings from Uganda and Mozambique showcasing effective subsidy models for crisis and displacement contexts.
