UN-Energy is an interagency mechanism within the system of the United Nations related to energy. It was created after the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, and its purpose is to create a coherent approach towards a sustainable energy system especially in developing countries to meet the Millennium Development Goals.
To do this, UN-Energy is reviewing energy-related activities within the UN system and trying to mainstream them into a broader approach. At present, UN-Energy remains a very small UN entity since it does not even reach the programme status.
UN-Energy was established as a subsidiary body of CEB in 2004 to help ensure coherence in the United Nations system’s multi-disciplinary response to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and to promote the effective engagement of non-UN stakeholders in implementing WSSD energy-related decisions. Its membership consists of senior officials and experts on energy of the commissions, organizations, funds and programmes listed below. Secretariat work is being done by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
Damilola Ogunbiyi, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy and Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, are the co-chairs of UN-Energy.