Stronger Together: Sustainable Energy for All and UN Foundation energy access team join forces

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and the UN Foundation have announced an agreement to integrate the Foundation's energy access program into SEforALL, officially bringing both organizations' energy initiatives and staff together. Through this merger, the two institutions will be able to have an even greater impact going forward in their shared goal of delivering the clean and sustainable energy solutions that the world needs.

In particular, combining the work under the SEforALL banner will allow scaled up efforts in areas such as energy and health, clean energy mini-grids, and energy for displaced people. The UN Foundation workstreams for those three areas and their staff have formally joined SEforALL, bringing additional depth and expertise to SEforALL’s energy access work.

"I am delighted that SEforALL will have the responsibility of providing an even broader global platform to the ground-breaking work undertaken by the UN Foundation on energy access at a time when too few were focused on its essential contribution to what became the Sustainable Development Goals. At a time when we are focused on speed and scale, we look forward to this alignment of work allowing us to go further, faster together," said Rachel Kyte, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All.

This merger comes after eight years of close collaboration and partnership between SEforALL and the UN Foundation, during which the two organizations have worked together to help build a nascent sustainable energy movement into the vibrant force that it is today.

"Access to sustainable energy is a key driver of sustainable development, which is why the UN Foundation has been a strong supporter and partner of Sustainable Energy for All since its inception at the UN to its role today as a leading international organization working in this space. This merger is a natural evolution in our partnership that will strengthen our collective ability to drive progress on energy access. The UN Foundation is proud of how far this work has come and we look forward to the possibilities that lie ahead: a world where everyone, everywhere has access to modern, sustainable energy," said Elizabeth Cousens, Deputy CEO of the United Nations Foundation.

The transition of the UN Foundation's energy access program to SEforALL marks an exciting new chapter as we work towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 on clean and affordable energy for all by 2030 and to going further, faster together.

Photo credit: ADB