The 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are designed to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all, while leaving no one behind.  In the face of accelerating environmental degradation and climate change, the 17 SDGs must increasingly be pursued in the context of a transition to net-zero emissions by 2050. The International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum (IVECF), therefore, seeks to highlight the action-oriented steps required to align sustainable development with decarbonization pathways.

The Forum is a multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder, and inter-disciplinary platform that aims to advance dialogue on sustainable energy, climate action, and green industrialization. The 2026 edition was convened in the context of global efforts to decarbonize energy systems, enhance energy security, and address persistent energy poverty. It reflected ongoing debates around how to balance climate ambition with development needs, especially those of emerging and developing economies.

IVECF 2026 highlighted the three elements of sustainable energy, climate action, and green industrialization as key pillars of shared prosperity, security, and stability. The Forum was structured around two complementary and interlinked action tracks that ran in parallel over the two days of the Forum:

• Global Green Industrialization Dialogue: This action track provided the strategic and political backbone of the Forum. It aimed to address system-level challenges and opportunities related to green industrialization, just energy transition and climate action in a changing geopolitical context.
• Country and Regional Implementation: This action track focused on practical delivery, peer learning, and knowledge exchange. It aimed to highlight national and region-led experiences, best practices, and scalable solutions across the least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), small island developing States (SIDS), fragile contexts, and emerging economies.

IVECF 2026 took place in Vienna, Austria, from 9-10 April 2026. Formerly known as the Vienna Energy Forum, the Forum was initiated in 2008, and was co-organized by the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Austrian Government, and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) writers for this meeting were Tomilola Akanle Eni-ibukun, Ph.D.; and Laura Bullon-Cassis, Ph.D. The Digital Editor was Mika Benoni, Ph.D. The Editor was Leila Mead.