FAO Director-General calls for energy-smart solutions in agrifood systems at the 2nd International Day of Clean Energy celebration
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu joined global leaders in marking the second International Day of Clean Energy at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 23 January 2025. Delivering a video message at the event, he highlighted the critical role of clean energy in transforming agrifood systems and achieving global sustainability goals.
The celebration, convened by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and supported by UN-Energy, brought together key stakeholders, including UN officials, government representatives and representatives of the energy sector, to discuss the urgent need for a just and inclusive clean energy transition.
In his address, the Director-General emphasized the importance of universal access to clean and reliable energy as a means to achieve the sustainable development goals and addressing global challenges. He also stressed the interrelation between energy, food security and climate change, and the need to transform agrifood systems to tackle the food and climate crises.
He also reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to scaling up energy-smart agrifood systems through its dedicated ESAS programme, which promotes innovative, green energy solutions tailored for agrifood systems.
The Director-General closed with a call for increased investments in clean energy to drive the transformation of agrifood systems and ensure the realization of the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life—leaving no one behind.
The International Day of Clean Energy underscores the critical role of clean energy in addressing global challenges such as energy poverty, climate change and rising food insecurity. This year’s observance coincides with SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy being recognized as the Goal of the Month for January, further underscoring the urgency of accelerating progress on clean energy solutions. FAO remains a steadfast partner in advancing energy-smart solutions that support sustainable agrifood systems and inclusive development worldwide.
For more details on the event and the FAO Director-General’s message, visit UN Web TV.