Highlights and images for 9 April 2026

Developing countries, particularly those rich in natural resources, must not remain solely exporters of raw materials but become creators of value to overcome commodity dependence. Energy must, therefore, be linked to productivity so countries can generate local added value. This was one of the key messages from the first day of the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum (IVECF), where discussions focused on advancing climate action, energy security, and green industrialization in an increasingly unstable global context.

Opening the opening ceremony with a video message, Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal President of Austria, emphasized that climate change disproportionately affects small island developing States (SIDS), least developed countries (LDCs), and landlocked developing countries (LLDCs). He also stressed that the Forum’s holistic approach, which links climate, energy, security, and green industrialization, is reflective of Austria’s priorities.

Gerd Müller, Director General, UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), pointed to the central challenge of decoupling economic growth from rising emissions, arguing that technologies and knowledge already exist, but financing and implementation must now be scaled up.

Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Austria, stressed that the current geopolitical instability has exposed the vulnerabilities of existing energy systems and called for a shift toward systems that are sustainable, renewable, and resilient.

Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone, argued that the energy transition should be judged not only by power generation, but by how much value it creates and how many lives it transforms. He said Africa will not be “the warehouse of global energy transition, but a centre of value creation and industrial growth.”

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Chairman of the People’s Council, Turkmenistan, proposed, among others, a global security strategy premised on the indivisibility of security and a UN General Assembly resolution on the role of energy connectivity in sustainable development.

Via video message, Hilda Heine, President of the Marshall Islands, underscored the acute vulnerability of SIDS, whose economies and energy systems face compounding pressures from the climate crisis, and called for a fairer international financial architecture to enable these countries access adequate financing.

Rabab Fatima, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS, speaking on behalf of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, emphasized that energy remains foundational to prosperity, and that the energy transition and adaptation must advance together.

Participants then gathered in plenary and roundtable sessions focusing on how to translate ambition into delivery. The first plenary, on Powering Prosperity, Security and Stability: Climate and Stability in a Shifting Global Landscape, examined the growing link between climate risks and international security. Speakers warned that climate change is increasingly acting as a threat multiplier, worsening instability, migration pressures, and economic vulnerability.

In the afternoon, a second plenary, titled From Commitment to Action: Global Green Industrialization as a Pillar of Prosperity for All, examined how to translate high-level commitments on green industrialization into concrete investment pipelines and policy frameworks.

The roundtable session on LDCs and LLDCs focused on green industrialization for stability and shared prosperity, with speakers underscoring that green industrialization must link energy access to jobs, production, and resilience. They stressed concessional finance, technology access, and stronger regional cooperation as key levers.

A dedicated roundtable on SIDS focused on resilient renewable energy systems for climate security and marked the launch of the Global Programme on Climate Resilient Renewable Energy Systems in SIDS (G-RES). Speakers highlighted both the acute vulnerability of SIDS and their potential as laboratories for innovation.

Roundtable discussions on strengthening multilateral support for green industrialization considered how to move from fragmented initiatives to coordinated delivery. Speakers underscored the need for: market demand for low-carbon products; regional coordination; technology-neutral regulation; and stronger public-private cooperation.

The roundtable on middle-income countries as engines of green industrial transformation explored experiences from these countries and private sector actors in advancing low-carbon industrial strategies. Speakers highlighted that many are already moving from targets to delivery, generating transferable lessons on how to expand industrial capacity.