IRENA at SEforAll Global Forum 2025

Bridgetown, Barbados

As one of the custodians of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) will be highly engaged at the 6th Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Global Forum held in Bridgetown, Barbados from 12-13 March 2025, co-hosted by SEforALL and Government of Barbados under the theme “Sustainable Energy for Equity, Security and Prosperity”.

This forum serves a platform for government, business and finance leaders, entrepreneurs, youth, and community representatives from around the world to come together to highlight leadership, broker new partnerships, spur new investment and address emerging challenges. IRENA’s participation in the SEforALL Forum 2025:

SIDS Ministerial Roundtable: ‘Small Islands, Big Solutions: Accelerating Sustainable Energy Transitions for Climate Action towards Future Prosperity’

Date: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Time: 14:00 – 15:30 AST (22:00 – 23:30 GST)

Co-organised by IRENA through the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Lighthouse Initiative and SEforALL, this ministerial will focus on strengthening international and regional collaboration for climate and energy action, explore innovative financing mechanisms and share best practices from the SIDS regions to strengthen collective voices. Building on outcomes from past SIDS-focused events, this SIDS Ministerial will foster collaboration and ambition, setting the stage for impactful participation at COP30 in Brazil with an aim to:

  • Strengthen regional and international collaboration to unlock climate finance and technical support for SIDS
  • Position SIDS leadership by leveraging the Bridgetown Initiative 3.0 as a lever for attracting greater investments to the region in the lead up to COP30
  • Launch concrete commitments and initiatives to support SIDS in achieving their energy transition goals

(Closed-door Proceedings/Invitation only)

Accelerating Clean Energy Transition Through Enhanced Energy Planning

Date: 12 March 2025
Time: 14:00 – 15:30 AST (22:00 – 23:30 GST)

Co-organised by the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Brazil and IRENA, with the support of SEforALL, this session will highlight the Global Coalition for Energy Planning (GCEP) and its role in advancing long-term energy planning to accelerate clean energy investments. As the Secretariat of the GCEP, IRENA brings its extensive expertise in energy planning, capacity building, and scenario-based policymaking to support countries in aligning their energy transition strategies with investment priorities.

Discussions will focus on:

  • Strengthening long-term energy planning to attract financing and de-risk clean energy investments
  • Enhancing institutional capacity and governance for scenario-based planning/
  • Fostering regional cooperation to improve energy security and grid resilience in SIDS

BARBADOS POD: Caribbean Energy Evolution: Strengthening Regional Grids and Spotlight on Barbados

Date: Thursday, 13 March 2025
Time: 09:00 – 10:30 AST (17:00 – 18:30 GST)

This session will feature interactive panels aiming to connect the Utilities for Net Zero Alliance (UNEZA), Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC), and Caribbean stakeholders, with a focus on strengthening regional integration and fostering renewable energy solutions. It seeks to advance collaboration on strengthening regional grids, the sustainable development of renewables in the Caribbean by facilitating a strategic exchange of knowledge and expertise between SIDS and partners and will explore:

  • Practical guidance on creating a well-functioning market activation plan and overcoming financial barriers
  • Strengthening regional grid integration and interconnectivity and specific opportunities
  • The technical barriers and opportunities to enhance grid infrastructure, system flexibility including energy storage and interconnectivity for the scaling renewables in the Caribbean region

Unlocking Geothermal Potential: From Power Generation to Sustainable Development in the Global South

Date: 13 March 2025
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AST (19:00 – 20:00 GST)

Co-organised by the Government of Iceland, IRENA through the Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA), Green by Iceland, and SEforALL, this session will explore strategies to accelerate the development of geothermal energy as a key enabler of affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy transitions. Special attention will be given to the opportunities and challenges in advancing geothermal energy deployment in the Global South. dialogue. Bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, and experts from the Caribbean, Iceland, and Kenya, the session aims to achieve the following objectives:

  • Explore global perspectives on geothermal energy and its potential to address energy security, climate resilience, and water scarcity challenges
  • Highlight pathways for affordable and reliable energy transitions, focusing on grid integration, regional cooperation, financing mechanisms, and technical implementation
  • Showcase successful geothermal projects and integration strategies to provide actionable lessons for scaling up deployment
  • Strengthen the role of the GGA, which is coordinated by IRENA, in fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and policy support to unlock geothermal’s full potential.

This event is by invitation only. For more information, visit: https://www.seforall.org/forum