The Vienna Energy Forum (VEF) 2017 themed ‘Sustainable Energy for the Implementation of the SDGs and the Paris Agreement’ convened from 9-12 May 2017 in Vienna, Austria. The event brought together approximately 1,650 participants from 128 countries, including the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, and several ministers from Egypt, India, Jordan, Morocco and Swaziland, high-level dignitaries and senior representatives of international and non-governmental organizations, academia, civil society and the private sector. The event was organized by the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and International Affairs, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) initiative, and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).

The Forum consisted of a Ministerial segment and a series of high-level panel discussions from 11-12 May, and aimed at promoting dialogue on: the nexus between energy, climate, transport, food, water and health; linkages in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change; and the role of innovation as a global driver for sustainable growth. The meeting concluded with the presentation of the VEF 2017 key messages.

The Forum was preceded by two days of special events, from 9-10 May, which considered a range of issues, including: attracting sustainable energy investments for small island developing States (SIDS); regional incubation networks; smart city development; clean energy for migrants; gender-inclusive energy policies; micro-grids; scaling up energy efficiency financing; and energy scenarios for sub-Saharan African cities.

During the week, “Women in Sustainable Energy” networking events were held and a number of initiatives and reports were launched, including the World Bank’s ‘State of Energy Access Report 2017,’ the International Resource Panel’s ‘Green Technology Choices: The Benefits, Risks and Trade-offs of Energy Efficient Technologies,’ Practical Action’s ‘Poor People’s Energy Outlook 2017,’ and UNIDO’s ‘World Small Hydropower Development Report.’ Spotlight Events covered the Electrification Accelerator and the Global Cleantech Innovation Index, and Special Events were also held on the sidelines of the VEF, including Clean Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Day and the Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) Clean Energy Climate Investment Forum.

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