The European Union, in a statement delivered on 7 July 2026 at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, warned that the world is not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (affordable and clean energy) by 2030, and called for treating energy access as a geopolitical and security issue. The statement, delivered on behalf of the EU and its Member States, noted that while renewable energy is expanding rapidly, hundreds of millions still lack electricity and over two billion rely on polluting cooking fuels, with energy efficiency improving too slowly.
The EU framed SDG 7 through a geopolitical lens, citing Russia's war against Ukraine and instability in the Middle East, including concerns around the Strait of Hormuz, as evidence that overdependence on fossil fuel imports undermines energy security. The statement argued that energy security, development, and climate action are deeply interconnected, pointing to the EU's own response to the energy crisis—accelerating renewables, strengthening energy efficiency, diversifying supply, investing in grids and interconnections, and reducing demand—as a model that reinforced both resilience and decarbonisation.
The EU pledged to step up support for partner countries, especially in Africa and fragile contexts, through its Global Gateway strategy, which invests in clean energy generation alongside grids, storage, connectivity, skills, governance, and resilient local systems. The EU also highlighted its joint effort at London Climate Action Week with the COP31 and COP32 Presidencies and other partners to expand electrification and reduce methane emissions. The statement underscored that energy is not a standalone sector but an enabler of development across all SDGs, aiming to maximise positive spillovers for poverty reduction, gender equality, climate action, and sustainable growth.