COVID-19 response
“We need to turn the recovery into a real opportunity to do things right for the future.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a tremendous shock to the global energy system, and threatens our collective efforts towards achieving SDG 7. Yet, despite the current challenges and uncertainty, governments must maintain the global momentum towards the clean energy transformation we need, including by building on existing Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement. Climate change remains the biggest threat to humanity over the long term, and slowing down progress on the clean energy transition now would severely jeopardise our fight against climate change.
In addition, energy is strongly interlinked with progress on other Sustainable Development Goals. Many of those goals will also be in jeopardy without increased access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services – especially the ones related to poverty eradication, gender equality, food security, health, education, clean water and sanitation, jobs, innovation, and transport.
Energy and COVID-19: Featured resources
‘Stronger response’ key, to build a safer and more stable future: Guterres
UN chief António Guterres is calling for greater unity and solidarity to defeat COVID-19 and build a better world in the wake of the global pandemic.
Statement by UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner on UN COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today launched a $2 billion global humanitarian response plan to fight COVID-19 in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries. This response plan is intended to protect millions of people and stop the virus from circling back around the globe.
Statement on COVID-19 by Under-Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin
With the increase of confirmed cases to over 200,000 today across 161 countries, states and territories, the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to carve its dark entry into the history of humankind, confining millions in their homes, causing serious illness and death and upending daily life as we know it.