Sustainability Week - SDB7 implementation

Remarks by H.E. Jörundur Valtýsson
Permanent Representative of Iceland to the UN
Sustainability Week – SDG7 implementation
19 April 2024

At the outset, let me thank the President of the General Assembly for convening the first ever Sustainability Week and focus today on sustainable energy and SDG7 – a priority goal for my country, Iceland.

My three comments relate to gender, financing, and capacity building. 

First, sustainable energy development will not be achieved without gender equality. Moreover, women are a forceful driver for sustainable development, and we need to provide them with a bigger role in the energy transition. There are multiple avenues to pursue this within the multilateral system and we need to fully exploit those. 

Second, there is an urgent need to mobilize more public and private finance. Iceland has stepped up its contributions to financial mechanisms that support energy related projects, for example the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, Nordic Development Fund, EEP Africa and Climate Promise.

And finally, Iceland is ready and willing to share its knowledge and experience in the use of renewable energy and continues to provide capacity building opportunities for experts from developing countries through our geothermal training program – which operates under the auspices of UNESCO. Iceland also maintains a lists of consultants where experts in geothermal utilization and hydropower are listed and international organizations can have access to.

Thank you.