GN-SEC Highlighted in 2025 SDG7 Policy Briefs as Model for Regional Energy Cooperation

New York, July 15, 2025 — The 2025 SDG7 Policy Briefs, launched last week during the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), emphasize the urgent need to accelerate progress toward universal access to clean, affordable, and reliable energy by 2030. Particular focus is placed on addressing energy access gaps in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

A highlight of this year’s policy briefs is the recognition of the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC) as a success story and best-practice model for enhancing regional cooperation and strengthening implementation mechanisms.

Owned and operated by regional economic communities, GN-SEC includes ten centres across Africa, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific, acting as regional accelerators of just energy transitions—from the regions, for the regions.

Demonstrating Regional Impact

GN-SEC’s integrated and collaborative approach has delivered tangible impact, including:

• Promoting equal progress and policy coherence—leaving no one behind
• Building harmonised regional markets to unlock economies of scale
• Tackling shared barriers through joint regional solutions
• Strengthening regional quality infrastructure and technical capacity
• Bundling clean energy projects and facilitating regional de-risking of investments
• Empowering local entrepreneurs—women, men, and youth—across the clean energy value chain

Scaling Up Regional Platforms

The policy briefs call for scaling up platforms like GN-SEC to bridge persistent energy access gaps, enhance resilience, and fast-track implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7).

“Regional cooperation isn’t just effective—it’s essential,” the briefs note. “Going forward, enhanced regional collaboration and partnerships will play a critical role in unlocking the potential that the energy transition in the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS holds. Promising examples of increased regional collaboration have already started to emerge. These include, for example, the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC)". 

Coordinated by UNIDO, GN-SEC stands out as a powerful example of how regional, South-South, and triangular cooperation can accelerate access to sustainable energy for all.

Learn More
Access the 2025 SDG7 Policy Briefs

HLPF SDG7 Event

The GN-SEC centres

• ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE)
  West Africa regional hub promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency.
  🔗 ecreee.org

• SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE)
  Southern Africa’s centre advancing sustainable energy policies and technologies.
  🔗 sacreee.org

• East African Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Efficiency (EACREEE)
  East Africa’s platform for accelerating clean energy adoption and capacity building.
  🔗 eacreee.org

• Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE)
  Serving 17 Arab countries, RCREEE promotes renewable energy and energy efficiency as the technical arm of the League of Arab States’ Energy Department.
  🔗 rcreee.org

• Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency for Central Africa (CEREEAC)
  Central Africa’s hub supporting sustainable energy development.
  🔗 cereeac.org

• Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE)
  Caribbean regional centre focusing on clean energy transition and efficiency.
  🔗 ccreee.org

• SICA Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SICREEE)
  Central America’s regional centre promoting renewable energy initiatives.
  🔗 sicreee.org

• Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PCREEE)
  Pacific Islands’ platform advancing renewable energy and energy efficiency.
  🔗 pcreee.org

• Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Capability for the Hindu Kush Himalaya (REEECH)
  A regional initiative coordinated by ICIMOD, focused on building renewable energy and energy efficiency capabilities in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region.
  🔗 icimod.org/initiative/reeech-2

• Clean Energy Centre for the ECO Region (CECECO)
  Energy centre for the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) region promoting clean energy.
  🔗 gn-sec.net/content/clean-energy-centre-eco-region-cececo