Over USD 500 million mobilized to accelerate the clean energy transition at the 2025 SEforALL Global Forum

Fresh perspectives, candid reflections, and a renewed commitment to promote universal energy access, accelerate clean energy transitions, spur sustainable development, and climate resilience at the SEforALL Global Forum.

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and the Government of Barbados welcomed more than 1,300 people from around the world to the sixth SEforALL Global Forum in Barbados from 12-13 March.

The much-anticipated landmark event, held for the first time in Latin America and the Caribbean, lived up to its billing as a key moment on the Road to COP30 with the COP29 and COP30 Presidencies present, and the COP30 Presidency unveiling its plan to engage different stakeholders, as it gets ready for the global climate talks later in the year.

The Forum was filled with inspiring talks, bold commitments and transformative actions to accelerate progress towards clean, affordable energy for all by 2030 and a just and inclusive energy transition.

Highlights

Here are the key highlights from the 2025 SEforALL Global Forum.

Global leaders call for greater action

H.E. Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados, H.E. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone; H.E. Doto Biteko, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Tanzania; Amina J. Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General; Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC; H.E. Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President and Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Climate Issues; H.E. Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, COP30 President-Designate; Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Nigeria; and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group; among many others, called on the need to move from commitments to action in order to achieve universal energy access by 2030 and a just and equitable energy transition.

You can watch a recap here: https://www.youtube.com/live/JigvwCDIHqA?si=xLfB_d2UB6tals7r

Ministerial roundtables reinforce need for greater international cooperation

Ministers from 28 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Pacific, recommitted to exploring collaborative opportunities to accelerate a just and equitable energy transition. At two Ministerial gatherings at the SEforALL Global Forum, ministers also agreed to advance climate resilience for populations in the Global South. Participants endorsed a Call to Action that highlighted the need for ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans, equitable distribution of climate finance allocations, enhanced local capacity and job opportunities, and accelerated deployment of innovative technological solutions across SIDS, as well as a Global Communiqué calling for accelerated efforts to achieve a just and inclusive energy transition.

Find out more here

Over USD 500 million in commitments to scale energy access and accelerate the clean energy transition

At the SEforALL Global Forum, partners announced a series of commitments:

• DRE Nigeria Fund of USD 500 million to develop and finance distributed renewable energy (DRE) projects in Nigeria. Announced by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), SEforALL, International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Africa50. This new fund will see targeted investments in support of mini-grids, solar home systems, commercial and industrial power solutions, embedded generation projects, and innovative energy storage technologies. 

  Find out more here

• Results-Based Financing (RBF) of USD 20 million to transform energy access in Sierra Leone via the Universal Energy Facility (UEF). Announced by the EU in partnership with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and SEforALL UNOPS, and SEforALL, this RBF mechanism will support the rollout of mini-grids to electrify rural households.
• Scale up of fossil fuel generator displacement of USD 12 million. ZE-Gen, the fossil fuel generator displacement initiative will receive more than €11m in additional funding from the IKEA Foundation to support its work to improve the lives of people across sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region by replacing highly polluting fossil fuel generators with renewable energy-based alternatives.
• e-Cooking Support and Scale-Up Programme of USD 3.5 to 5 million to accelerate clean cooking in Sierra Leone. Announced by the Middle East Green Initiative’s “Forward7 Clean Cooking” programme in partnership with the Global electric Cooking Coalition (GeCCo), Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) and UK Aid. This programme will see the prioritization of the clean cooking sector as envisaged in the Sierra Leone Energy Transition and Green Growth Plan, as well as the implementation of the Electricity Sector Reform Roadmap (2018-2040) to facilitate a switch to e-cooking.

Groundbreaking initiatives to raise finance and catalyze national and regional clean energy efforts

At the SEforALL Global Forum, several key initiatives were unveiled:

• Barbados Energy Transition and Investment Plan (ETIP) was formally launched by E. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, along with Senator the Honorable Minister Lisa Cummins, the Minister of Energy and Business, and Damilola Ogunbiyi, the CEO of SEforALL. Developed by SEforALL working with Barbados’ Ministry of Energy and Business, the plan lays out the roadmap for the country to achieve net-zero by 2035.
• Announcement of a partnership between SEforALL and the Government of Pakistan to develop an Energy Transition and Investment Plan (ETIP) for Pakistan. Muhammad Ali, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Power and Damilola Ogunbiyi, the CEO of SEforALL, announced this partnership between Pakistan and SEforALL that will develop a roadmap to accelerate the clean energy transition in the country.
• Formula E announced its intention to join the Energy Compacts, which are voluntary commitments coordinated by the United Nations and UN-Energy and supported by SEforALL. By joining the Energy Compacts, Formula E would be the first mainstream sports institution to commit to spurring action towards achieving net-zero while advancing universal energy access.
• The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) launched its Caribbean Chapter aimed at bringing together financial institutions to mobilize private capital to support the clean energy transition. The Caribbean Chapter, an extension of GFANZ’s Latin America and Caribbean Network, will focus on addressing local barriers to increasing investment in the region.
• SEforALL and OLADE, the Latin American Energy Organization, announced their partnership aimed at strengthening policy, regulations and tariffs to achieve a just and equitable energy transition in the Latin America and Caribbean region.
• SEforALL launched the Africa Renewable Energy Manufacturing Financiers’ Collective, a platform to facilitate cooperation between financiers and to enhance engagement with manufacturers in Africa as well as other regions, including Southeast Asia. This innovative platform aims to catalyze green finance and provide local manufacturers with improved access to funding, enabling them to scale operations and accelerate progress toward sustainable energy goals.

Changemakers and innovators recognized through the Energy Heroes Awards

The winners of the 2025 Energy Heroes Awards were announced at the SEforALL Global Forum. Seven winners from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean as well as Middle East and North Africa, were feted for their innovations revolutionizing the sustainable energy sector and their work in providing funding, technical capacity and technologies to accelerate the clean energy transition.

The 2025 winners are:

• Deborah Fadeyi, Vectar Energy, Nigeria (Innovator)
• The BRILHO programme, Mozambique (Changemaker)
• Becool Indonesia, Indonesia (Innovator)
• Mee Panyar, Myanmar (Changemaker)
• Soluz Honduras, Honduras (Innovator)
• Jorge Rivera Staff, Panama (Changemaker)
• Youth 4 Sustainability, UAE (Innovator)

Thank you to Sponsors and Partners

Achieving universal energy access and accelerating the clean energy transition requires collaborative efforts to increase financing for developing nations, to rapidly expand electricity access, enhance energy efficiency, deploy renewable energy technologies, and concentrate new energy investments in the least developed countries.

The SEforALL Global Forum was successful in bringing together different actors to craft solutions and turn commitments to action.

We thank the Government of Barbados for its generous support as the co-hosts of this forum.

We also thank the United Nations, Government of Nigeria, Government of Iceland, the Middle East Green Initiative, All On, Caribbean Development Bank, Climate Emergency Collaboration Group, Energy Catalyst, World Bank ESMAP, GE Vernova, Infracredit, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Lightrock, South Pole, Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Transforming Energy Access, ZE-Gen, Africa-Europe Foundation, Climate Investment Funds (CIF), Formula E, IRENA and the Pacific Community for supporting the sixth SEforALL Global Forum.