About
The first high-level meeting to tackle energy issues under the United Nations General Assembly in 40 years demonstrated broad interest in accelerating ambition towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) on affordable and clean energy and the net-zero emissions by 2050 goal of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Final report
Summary report 22–24 September 2021
All coverage
![Wind turbines](/sites/default/files/inline-images/_RS3832_iStock-1016052364-scr.jpg)
UN Secretary-General António Guterres convened the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy (HLDE) under the auspices of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). This Dialogue was the first global gathering on energy under the auspices of the UN General Assembly since the 1981 UN Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy. It presented an historic opportunity to provide transformational action in the first years of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Decade of Action and support the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The HLDE consisted of a series of Leadership Dialogues featuring Heads of State and Government and other global leaders. Just prior to the official opening, an interactive “fireside chat” took place, featuring leaders from the UN and business and civil society organizations.
At the Dialogue, global leaders formally announced a series of “Energy Compacts,” voluntary commitments aimed at achieving SDG 7 on clean, affordable energy for all by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. To bring together businesses, cities, foundations, youth and other civil society representatives to announce their own Energy Compacts and mobilize to partnerships for transformative action, virtual multi-stakeholder energy action “pre-events” were organized by the United Nations on Wednesday and Thursday, 22-23 September. The UN opened a web portal in August 2021 for all interested parties to register their Energy Compacts prior to the HLDE.
The primary outcome of the Dialogue was expected to be a “global roadmap” consisting of five thematic reports prepared in Spring 2021 by Technical Working Groups, each containing detailed recommendations for action needed, regarding:
- energy access;
- innovation, technology, and data;
- energy transition;
- enabling SDGs through inclusive, just energy transitions; and
- finance and investment.
The five reports were endorsed by the HLDE Ministerial Thematic Forums convened virtually on 21-25 June 2021.
View past and future events
Past event
UN General Assembly Debate on UNCED Issues Related
Past event
UNCED Working Group
Past event
UN General Assembly Discussions on UNCED-Related Issues
Past event
UN General Assembly Discussions on UNCED Follow-up
Past event
UN General Assembly Discussions on Environment and Sustainable Development
Past event
UN General Assembly Discussions on UNCCD
Past event
UN General Assembly Discussions on SIDS
Past event
19th Special Session of the UN General Assembly to Review the Implementation of Agenda 21
Past event
Resumed Session of the ICPD+5 PrepCom and 21st Special Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGASS-21)
Past event
22nd Special Session of the General Assembly for the Review and Appraisal of the Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS
Past event
Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the 24th Special Session of the General Assembly (WSSD+5)
Past event
WSSD+5 Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) Intersessional Meetings
Past event
23rd Special Session of the UN General Assembly (Beijing+5)
Past event
2nd Session of the Preparatory Committee for the Special Session of the UN General Assembly for an Overall Review and Appraisal of the Implementation of the Habitat Agenda (Istanbul+5)
Past event
25th Special Session of the General Assembly (Istanbul+5) for an Overall Review and Appraisal of the Implementation of the Habitat Agenda
Past event
2005 High-level Dialogue of the UN General Assembly on Financing for Development
Past event
High-level Plenary Meeting of the 65th Session of the UNGA on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
Past event
Climate Summit 2014
Past event
Preparatory Meeting for the Ocean Conference: Our Oceans, Our Future: Partnering for the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14
Past event
UN Summits Week 2019
Past event
SDG Moment 2020
Past event
75th Anniversary of the UN The Future We Want, the UN We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism
Past event
Coverage of Selected Side Events at the UN Summits Week 2020
Past event
Biodiversity Summit
Past event
High-Level Dialogue on Energy Technical Working Groups
Past event
UN General Assembly High-Level Event on the Ocean
Past event
High-level Dialogue on Energy Ministerial Thematic Forums (HLDE 2021)
Past event
SDG Moment 2021
Past event
High-level Dialogue on Energy
Past event
Stockholm+50
Past event
2022 SDG Moment
Past event
UN 2023 Water Conference
Past event
UN Summits Week 2023
Upcoming event
Summit of the Future
To receive free coverage of global environmental events delivered to your inbox, subscribe to the ENB Update newsletter.