Highlights and images for 10 April 2026

The energy transition is no longer being framed purely as a way to address climate change but as a tool for economic transformation. On the second and final day of the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum (IVECF), speakers pointed to the role of green industrialization in leveraging the energy transition for productivity and resilience, while also focusing on the practical challenge of mobilizing finance and scaling solutions.

In the morning plenary on Just Energy Transition for Structural Transformation and Economic Diversification, participants explored how the energy transition can translate into real productivity gains. Ezéchiel Nibigira, President of the Economic Community of Central African States, emphasized the importance of regional cooperation, noting that regional Heads of State have developed a regional industrialization plan. He added that a lack of investment in energy infrastructure remains a major barrier, and called for partners to plan, finance, and implement projects collectively.

Jeffrey Sachs, President, Sustainable Development Solutions Network, emphasized that large-scale projects, such as hydropower in the Congo Basin, require regional coordination and significant upfront investment. He noted that mobilizing such investment will require new partnerships, including with emerging economies like China and India.

Rana Adib, Executive Director, Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), stressed that the shift to renewable energy represents a broader structural transformation, requiring alignment between energy systems, industrial demand, and workforce development.

Haneen AlJuhani, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Young Professionals, highlighted the importance of skills and inclusion, noting that while young professionals are already contributing to the transition, they are often excluded from decision-making processes.

In the subsequent roundtable on Enabling Green Industrialization at Scale: Policies, Institutions, and Investments, speakers emphasized that achieving impact requires moving beyond pilot projects toward commercially viable and replicable solutions. Participants highlighted the need to align innovation with real industrial demand, develop sustainable business models, and strengthen partnerships across public and private sectors.

Discussions in the roundtable on Regional Value Chains and Green Industrial Corridors highlighted the growing importance of cross-border approaches. Participants emphasized that economic corridors must evolve beyond transport and logistics to become integrated systems linking energy, industry, and trade.

In the afternoon, participants gathered in a plenary session on Securing the Green Transformation: Resilient Technologies and Infrastructure. Norbert Totschnig, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management, Austria, stressed that climate and energy policies are now geopolitical issues, calling for regulatory certainty, resilient value chains, and investment incentives to secure the green transition.

Gedion Timothewos Hessebon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia, highlighted his country’s large-scale afforestation efforts, high share of clean electricity generation, and recent ban on fossil fuel vehicle imports as pillars of a resilient development pathway.

Marie-May Jeremie, Minister of Environment, Climate, Energy and Natural Resources, Seychelles, underlined the close link between environmental sustainability and economic prosperity in small island developing States, with current investments focused on climate-resilient infrastructure and renewable energy.

Jonathan Reid, Minister of Innovation, Industry, Science and Technology, Barbados, described the country’s shift from fossil fuel dependence toward wind, solar, and ocean-based infrastructure, alongside efforts to position Barbados as a green industrial and innovation hub.

Dana Kadyrbek, Founder, HydroTech ATM, presented atmospheric water harvesting technology designed to provide decentralized, electricity-free drinking water in fragile and rural contexts. Luke LeBlanc, SDG7 Youth Constituency, called for greater investment in youth skills and local vocational training.

During the subsequent roundtable on Rebuilding Futures: Green Industrialization in Crisis Contexts, discussions focused on how crisis recovery can serve as an opportunity to rebuild industrial systems along green and climate-resilient pathways. Speakers, including representatives from Ukraine, Palestine, Sri Lanka, and Sudan, stressed that, in contexts marked by climate shocks, war, and political and economic instability, recovery investments must be aligned with context-specific and long-term industrial transformation.

During the roundtable on Entrepreneurship, Skills and Inclusive Green Industrial Value Creation, participants highlighted the importance of investing in human capital, strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems, and ensuring that innovation is closely linked to real-world challenges.

In the closing segment, Master of Ceremony Katharina Moser reflected on the key message that had emerged across the Forum: energy security, climate action, and economic transformation must move forward together. She invited participants to carry this momentum into the Vienna Call to Action.

The Forum closed at 6.15pm with a shared emphasis on sustained delivery and ensuring that vulnerable communities remain at the centre of implementation efforts.