Background
The Energy Compacts are voluntary, trackable commitments launched at the High-Level Dialogue on Energy convened by the UN Secretary-General in September 2021. The Energy Compacts are designed to spur action towards SDG7 in line with net-zero goals. Commitments were submitted by governments, corporations, international organizations, philanthropies, and a range of other stakeholders towards achieving SDG7 and the clean energy transition.
UN-Energy, as the United Nations inter-agency mechanism coordinated by UN-DESA, supports all stakeholders to develop and implement Energy Compact commitments.
About
Energy Compacts aim to support the Secretary-General’s call to action to governments and the private sector by capturing the steps that need to be taken by our energy systems towards the nexus of climate and development. In 2022, the Energy Compact Action Network was launched to match commitments made through the Compacts by pairing offers of support with requests for support towards enabling these entities to achieve their stated goals.
The Energy Compacts will be positioned as a high-impact initiative for the SDG Summit in September 2023 and beyond, aiming to further build and strengthen partnerships towards achieving commitments and implementing the Secretary-General’s Global Roadmap for Accelerated SDG7 Action in support of the 2030 Agenda and net-zero emissions.
In the first year since its launch, the Compact community has already invested USD 46 billion towards Energy Compact commitments, provided enhanced electricity access to 6 million people and improved access to clean cooking for 14 million people. Based on the progress reported by 94 Energy Compact proponents, 88 GW of renewable energy capacity has been installed and 2,450 GWh of energy saved through energy efficiency measures in the 2021-22 reporting period.
Throughout the current Decade of Action, UN-Energy will continue to mobilize more Energy Compacts, raising their ambition and tracking their progress. For detailed instructions on how to formally submit and register your Compact, please see ‘Submit your Energy Compact.’
Energy Compacts have collectively mobilized $1.4 trillion in financial commitments aimed at accelerating clean energy transitions and driving climate resilience.
As countries prepare to submit enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in 2025, Energy Compacts offer a critical mechanism to operationalize these commitments. They provide a structured approach to integrate energy commitments within the revised NDCs, ensuring that climate ambitions are aligned with actionable energy plans and measurable outcomes. In addition to individual energy compacts, they offer diverse platforms for increased commitments:
Energy Compact Action Network:
The Energy Compact Action Network (ECAN) is the only global platform that matches offers and requests for support across the full spectrum of the energy transition—from energy access and efficiency to renewables, technology, and policy innovation. Launched in 2022 by UN-Energy, as the matchmaking arm of Energy Compacts, ECAN connects governments, companies, cities, and civil society actors committed to advancing SDG7 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
A Platform for Targeted Action and Collaboration:
ECAN helps turn Energy Compact commitments into reality by:
- Pairing stakeholders to co-develop solutions, access finance, and share technical expertise.
- Fostering catalytic partnerships among actors with shared goals to maximize collective impact.
- Tracking progress and surfacing insights on what works, where support is needed, and how to accelerate results.
Multi-Stakeholder Energy Compacts:
‘Member states and non-state actors, such as companies, regional/local governments, NGOs and others have submitted more that 160 Energy Compacts. This includes 32 government commitments, 48 private sector commitments, and 80 catalytic partnerships driving leveraged outcomes’.
Since the launch in 2021, 209 proponents have made commitments towards the Energy Compacts process, with 160 Energy Compacts submissions and 49 expressions of interest. Among these, 80 are catalytic partnerships driving significant impact. A few examples of multi-stakeholder compacts include:
24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact
In 2021, at the United Nations High-Level Dialogue on Energy, Sri Lanka, Chile, Montenegro, Denmark, UK, France and Germany signed the No New Coal Energy Compact committing to not building any new and additional coal power projects. The Compact, coordinated jointly with the Powering Past Coal Alliance and UN-Energy, targets additional signatories as a way for countries to demonstrate their commitment and leadership towards a clean energy transition. Learn more here.
JIET Compact
In response to growing global demand for equitable energy access, the G20’s Energy Transition Working Group has developed and endorsed 10 guiding principles for clean and inclusive energy transitions. To embed these principles within multilateral and national processes, they have been translated into the Just and Inclusive Energy Transition (JIET) Compact, an initiative supported by the G20 under Brazil’s 2024 presidency. The Compact brings together the commitment of G20 nations to advance a just, affordable, and inclusive global energy transition, aligned with the goals of sustainable development and social justice. Learn more here.
No New Coal Energy Compact
In 2021, at the United Nations High-Level Dialogue on Energy, Sri Lanka, Chile, Montenegro, Denmark, UK, France and Germany signed the No New Coal Energy Compact committing to not building any new and additional coal power projects. The Compact, coordinated jointly with the Powering Past Coal Alliance and UN-Energy, targets additional signatories as a way for countries to demonstrate their commitment and leadership towards a clean energy transition. Learn more here.
SIDS Compact
At the SEforALL Forum in Barbados in March 2025, representatives from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) convened to address the pressing challenges posed by climate change and energy insecurity and issued a Call to Action underscoring the urgent need for collaborative efforts to accelerate sustainable energy transitions in SIDS. This aims to build climate-resilient economies and achieve sustainable development goals. The key principles of this Call to Action are enshrined in an Energy Compact, with signatories including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tonga. Learn more here.
Driving Broader Sustainable Development: Energy Compacts contribute significantly to multiple SDGs
