The Secretary General particularly welcomes the inclusion of the new Goal 7, “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”. This is the first time that the international community adopts a specific universal goal on energy and sets a time limit (2030) for achieving those targets. The Secretary General also notes that Goals 9, 13 and 17 are of relevance to the mandate of the Energy Charter.

The adoption of the SDG is timely as it occurs just some months before both the Paris Conference of the Parties to the Climate Convention, and the Twenty Sixth Meeting of the Energy Charter Conference scheduled for Tbilisi. The further modernisation of the Energy Charter Process will be discussed in Tbilisi. The Secretary General therefore encourages the Conference to start shaping a meaningful Energy Charter contribution towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The International Energy Charter was signed or adopted by seventy two countries together with the European Union (EU), Euratom and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at a Ministerial Conference in The Hague on May 20 2015. More countries particularly from the developing world are expected to follow suit in the near future. As an increasing number of developing countries participate in the Energy Charter Process they will make themselves more attractive to investors. This will help to achieve target 7.a of the SDG which is “to promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology” 

The Sustainable Development Goals can be found here.