Access to affordable and sustainable energy for all: what can policy and regulation do?

This debate, jointly organised by FSR and UNECE, aims at discussing energy access in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with a focus on the more vulnerable categories of the society.

As the global community accelerates efforts toward meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, energy access remains a fundamental pillar. Ensuring that all people—regardless of geography or income—have reliable, affordable, and clean energy is a challenge that demands coordinated regulatory action, informed policy, and multilateral cooperation. This 1.5-hour debate will delve into how regulation and policy can help close the energy gap, with high-level contributions from both European and international perspectives.

The event is structured into two sessions. The Opening presentations from the Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER) and the United Nations Economic Committee for Europe (UNECE), will frame the scope of the debate – by providing, on one side, a glimpse of the European Union’s approach to ensuring sustainable and inclusive energy access and, on the other, highlights from the international context in terms of global strategies, challenges, and regulatory innovations.
Our second session will feature a panel debate with distinguished representatives from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the SNAM Foundation, the SECCA Project, the Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy (IEECP), the European Young Energy Network, and the African School of Regulation. Together, they will explore synergies, lessons learned, and potential pathways forward.

This is the first of a series of online debates jointly organised by FSR and UNECE and focusing on the nexus between energy policy and regulation and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Programme

Host: Branko Milicevic (UNECE)

Introduction to the Debate and Opening Presentations

14.00 – 14.05   Introduction to the Debate

Ilaria Conti | Florence School of Regulation

14.05 – 14.15    The European perspective

Tadhg O’Brian | DG ENER

14.15 – 14.25    The international perspective

Ray Pilcher | UNECE

Panel Discussion: Introductory Remarks, Polls and Comments

Moderator:       Branko Milicevic | Florence School of Regulation

14.25 – 15.00  Introductory remarks from the panellists

Bruno Idini | IEA

Silvia Sartori | SECCA Project

Federico Barbieri | European Youth Energy Network

Carol Awuor Ofafa | African School of Regulation

15.00 – 15.20    Q&A from the audience
Panellists

15.20 – 15.30    Concluding remarks
Ilaria Conti | Florence School of Regulation
Branko Milicevic | UNECE