Powering Progress: Why the Energy Transition Is Now a Business Priority

Sanda Ojiambo, CEO & Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, reflects on the 2026 UN Private Sector Forum Dialogue, convened on the margins of the High-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

Energy security and access now rank among the highest priorities for business and Government, placing the energy transition at the intersection of politics, economics, development and commerce. Against this backdrop, the United Nations Global Compact convened nearly 200 business leaders, policymakers and UN representatives at the UN Private Sector Forum to discuss the policy and business actions needed to accelerate clean-energy deployment, strengthen the investment case and increase demand for green energy.

The discussion unfolded amid rising energy demand, growing climate-related strain on energy systems and an urgent need to expand reliable, affordable power. The underlying reality is clear: countries, communities and businesses cannot prosper without secure, sustainable energy systems that support long-term growth.

A central conclusion was that energy is not a standalone issue; it enables progress across nearly every global priority. Affordable, reliable power directly affects industrial productivity, job creation, food systems, health services, education and digital connectivity.

The Private Sector Forum reaffirmed that energy is a business imperative for competitiveness, resilience and growth. Business leaders consistently identified infrastructure gaps, policy barriers and the cost of capital as the main constraints on deployment.

Accelerate investment in renewables, grids, storage, efficiency and demand-side flexibility. Use rising electricity demand from AI, data centres, industry and transport to support new clean capacity rather than deepen fossil-fuel dependence.

ROI: stronger energy security, less exposure to price volatility, more predictable operating costs and access to rapidly growing clean-energy markets.

Develop investable pipelines with Governments, development finance institutions and local partners. Use blended finance, guarantees, insurance and local-currency solutions to reduce risk, and invest beyond generation in transmission, storage, distributed energy, manufacturing and local value creation.

ROI: early entry into undercapitalized growth markets, exposure to rising electricity demand, more resilient supply chains and durable market positions.

Work collectively with Governments, policymakers and financial institutions to advance predictable long-term policy, faster permitting, transparent regulation, interoperable standards and coordinated infrastructure planning.

ROI: shorter development cycles, lower transaction and regulatory risk, stronger project economics and greater potential to scale across markets.

Invest in workforce skills, local suppliers, community benefits and responsible value chains. Measure jobs, skills and local economic value alongside financial and energy outcomes.

ROI: a stronger social license to operate, broader talent and supplier pools, fewer project delays and more resilient long-term investments.

Apply common metrics, responsible and traceable sourcing, circular practices, and AI and digital tools to improve grid, storage and demand efficiency. Extend transition plans beyond company operations to suppliers, customers and assets.

ROI: greater resource productivity, lower costs and curtailment, reduced supply-chain and regulatory risk, and new products and revenue opportunities.

What can companies do over the next one to two years to turn these five priorities into action? Each company can identify:

• one clean-energy investment to accelerate
• one growth-market opportunity to develop
• one policy or financing barrier to help remove
• one workforce or local-value commitment to deliver, or
• one technology or value-chain intervention to reduce cost or risk.

None of these steps are easy. Yet, taken individually and collectively, they are essential for the energy sector and its stakeholders to secure reliable, affordable energy, enter new markets, strengthen supply chains and build competitive advantage.

We will continue this conversation and gather and document commitments to action from energy leaders at COP 31 in Antalya, Turkey. We are committed to bringing business and Governments together to solve for a stronger enabling environment for energy security and energy access through the year ahead.

For more information and insights, see:

• Secretary-General's Remarks on the Moment of Opportunity
• 2025 Energy Opportunity Report
• My Remarks for the UN Private Sector Forum
• Secretary-General's Remarks for the UN Private Sector Forum