SEforALL Mobilises Global Action to Deliver SDG7 on Clean Energy Day
SEforALL launches a 24 hours for clean energy campaign along with 3 events in spanning the globe from Africa to Europe to drive global action, on a massive scale, for clean energy.
Vienna, Austria – 26 January 2026: On the fourth International Day of Clean Energy, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), named by the United Nations as one of the leaders of the Day, is marking the occasion with a series of in-person and digital events. The activations focus on two often overlooked priorities of the global energy transition: clean cooking, which replaces polluting fuels with safer, modern solutions, and new approaches to financing electricity access for communities still without reliable power.
Despite global progress, more than 2.1 billion people still rely on polluting fuels such as firewood and charcoal for cooking, exposing families to deadly household air pollution, driving deforestation and accelerating climate change. At the same time, millions of people across Sub-Saharan Africa remain without reliable electricity, limiting economic opportunity and access to essential services. Both challenges are solvable with existing technologies and targeted investment.
Four flagship events driving action from local to global change
In Lagos, Nigeria, SEforALL will convene policymakers, private sector leaders and community stakeholders for an in-person Clean Cooking Experience focused on accelerating Nigeria’s clean energy transition. The event will combine a policy roundtable with hands-on demonstrations of clean cooking technologies available in the Nigerian market, highlighting the health, climate and economic benefits of transitioning away from polluting fuels.
In Vienna, Austria, SEforALL will bring together ambassadors, government officials, international partners, youth leaders and the media for a high-level event focused on clean cooking in schools. The programme will feature a panel discussion, a photo exhibition and a reception showcasing how clean cooking solutions can improve health, protect the environment and strengthen education outcomes for millions of children worldwide.
In parallel, SEforALL will mark the fifth anniversary of the Universal Energy Facility (UEF) with a livestreamed event showing how funding paid out once results are delivered is expanding electricity access across Sub-Saharan Africa. The programme will also announce a new European Union and Danish Government–funded initiative to accelerate private-sector investment in green mini-grids in Sierra Leone and open a call for applications.
Globally, SEforALL will launch “24 Hours for Clean Energy,” a digital activation inviting individuals, businesses and organizations everywhere to share commitments and actions in support of SDG7 across social media platforms. Using the hashtags #InternationalDayOfCleanEnergy and #CleanEnergyDay, participants will contribute to a shared global moment of visibility and solidarity for clean, affordable and reliable energy.
By linking local action with global engagement, SEforALL’s Clean Energy Day activations underscore that energy poverty, climate change and development are deeply interconnected, and that solutions delivered in one part of the world deliver benefits for all.
Media Contact:
Sherry Kennedy: sherry.kennedy@seforall.org
About Sustainable Energy for All:
Sustainable Energy for All has a global mandate to accelerate energy transitions in emerging and developing countries. We work at the intersection of energy, climate and development, partnering with governments and organizations to decarbonize energy systems, grow green industries and improve energy access. The solutions we design and deliver help bring sustainable energy and its benefits to households, businesses, public services and whole economies – opening pathways to a more resilient and prosperous future for all.
We are a hosted entity of the UN Office for Project Services, and our CEO serves as the Special Representative to the Secretary-General of the UN for Sustainable Energy for All.
About the Universal Energy Facility:
The Universal Energy Facility (UEF), a multi-donor fund managed by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), was established in 2020 to accelerate and scale up energy access across Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, in line with SDG7 and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The UEF provides incentive payments to clean energy companies deploying energy solutions and providing verified end-user electricity connections (via mini-grids and stand-alone solar systems) and clean cooking solutions based on pre-determined service standards. Read more: https://www.universalenergyfacility.org.
