The Seventh Meeting of the Global Forum on Sustainable Energy (GFSE-7) was held from 21-23 November 2007 at the Vienna International Centre, Vienna, Austria. The meeting convened under the theme “Energy Efficiency for Developing Countries - Strong Policies and New Technologies,” and considered policies, case studies, and initiatives related to improving and promoting energy efficiency in developing countries, as well as opportunities, barriers, and the way forward.

GFSE-7 was organized by the Global Forum on Sustainable Energy in collaboration with the Austrian Development Cooperation at the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, the Austrian Energy Agency and the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management.

The meeting brought together representatives from governments, agencies, UN bodies and international organizations, academia, business and industry, civil society and financing institutions. Participants met in eight expert panel sessions to hear presentations and engage in discussions on a variety of relevant topics, including scenarios for developing countries, energy efficiency and industrial development, carbon finance, investing in energy efficiency, and connections to poverty reduction in urban and rural areas.

Participants attending GFSE-7 also watched video presentations showcasing energy efficiency success stories in developing countries, and visited Schwechat Brewery for a practical demonstration of energy efficiency in production processes.