A workshop on capacity development for mainstreaming energy sustainable development goals (SDGs), targets and indicators into statistical programmes in select Asian countries that took place from 17 to 19 November in Incheon, Republic of Korea, called for more international cooperation and support to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development into national programmes.

The workshop brought together experts from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, the Republic of Korea, the UN System and other international organizations and Universities. Participants assessed the proposed global energy SDG on ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all and related targets, as well as current efforts on energy statistics and indicators by various organizations.

They also discussed the need for adapting the global energy SDG, targets and indicators into national circumstances and plans of actions to incorporate them into national programmes.

Connections between energy and other areas such as health, food security, gender, water, and education were highlighted during discussions of the nexus approach, as was the need for countries to develop nexus indicators of relevance to the situation in their countries. The discussions acknowledged that energy is critical to tackling poverty eradication, while decarbonizing energy is central to mitigating climate change.

One of the key insights of the workshop was that more capacity development activities are necessary in many countries on energy statistics in general and energy goals, targets and indicators in particular.

Additional efforts by national experts were deemed necessary for the adoption of the energy goals, targets and indicators to national realities, priorities and circumstances. This may include the definition of specific indicators necessary to monitor a specific priority area.

Most country representatives stressed the need for additional international cooperation and support to ensure the minimum institutional capacity for a successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Country representatives also expressed concerns about the need to harmonize efforts across different ministries to ensure planning and implementation of sustainable development programmes in an integrated manner.

The workshop was organized by UN DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development (DSD) and the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) as part of the 2015 Sustainable Development Transition Forum. The presentations made at all three workshops at the forum and other information can be found at http://bit.ly/1IA6Wxe