Photo Highlights from the 2026 ENERGYNOW SDG7 Action Forum
Highlights from the 2026 ENERGYNOW SDG7 Action Forum, held on 24 September 2026 in New York during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week.
Welcome Remarks
Mr. Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Opening by UN-Energy Co-Chairs & Energy Compact Progress Report 2026
Ms. Damilola Ogunbiyi, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and UN-Energy Co-Chair
High-level Remarks
Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana
Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
Ms. Tatiana Molcean
Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
H.E. Ms. Lina Eugenia Ajoy Rojas
Secretary-General, Sistema de la Integraci¨®n Centroamericana (SICA)
Mr. Hoesung Lee
President, Carbon Free Alliance; Special Ambassador for Carbon Free Energy, Republic of Korea; and Sixth Chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Mr. Antonio Bernardini
Chief of Staff, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
Remarks by the Co-Facilitators of the SDG7 Technical Advisory Group
Mr. Hans Olav Ibrekk
Special Envoy for Climate and Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway
Ms. Sheila Oparaocha
Executive Director, ENERGIA International Network on Gender & Sustainable Energy
Session 1: The Road to 2030 and Beyond: Leveraging the Opportunities to Catalyze Energy Action
Moderator: Ms. Bahareh Seyedi, Senior Climate and Sustainable Energy Advisor, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Mr. Paul Nzomo Mbuthi, Energy Policy and Planning Expert, Ministry of Energy & Petroleum, Kenya
Mr. Riad Meddeb, Head of Decarbonization and Sustainable Energy, United Nations Development Programme
Ms. Michelle Hallack, Senior Specialist, ESMAP, World Bank
Mr. David O¡¯Connor, Adjunct Professor, University of South Florida
Mr. Frank van der Vleuten, Coordinating Policy Officer - Climate Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands
Session 2: Strengthening Partnerships for Transformative Impact
Presentation & Q&A on ¡°Making Gender Data Matter: A Shared Agenda for Sustainable Energy¡±
Ms. Samantha Constant, Senior Gender Specialist, Energy Sector Management Assistance Program, World Bank Group
Ms. Sheila Oparaocha, Executive Director, ENERGIA International Network on Gender & Sustainable Energy
Panel 1: Scaling Innovative Solutions
Moderator: Mr. Jon Leary, Co-Director, Gamos East Africa
Mr. Sebastian Groh, CEO, SOLshare
Mr. Wale Aboyade, Global Vice President, Public Policy & Government Relations, Sun King
Mr. Ted Miller, Director of Corporate Finance, Burn Manufacturing
Ms. Nyamolo Abagi, Director for Clean Energy Access, CLASP
Panel 2: Leveraging Inclusive and Cross-Sectoral Approaches
Moderator: Mr. Josh Oxby, Global Focal Point, SDG7 Youth Constituency
Mr. David Mozersky, President, Energy Peace Partners
Mr. Alex Guerra, General Director, Private Institute for Climate Change Research (ICC) (Virtual)
Ms. Lea Ranalder, Programme Management Officer, UN-Habitat
Mr. Matthew Kelson, Human Rights Senior Adviser, International Disability Alliance
Audience & Event Highlights
Participants and guests at the 2026 ENERGYNOW SDG7 Action Forum in New York.
