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Energy Transitions Working Group Ministerial Meeting Chair's Statement
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, October 10, 2025; published October 15, 2025
[pdf]
Under the leadership of South Africa’s G20 Presidency, the G20 Energy Ministers convened for the first time on African soil. The meeting, held in KwaZulu-Natal on 10 October 2025, has been anchored in the theme “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability.”
The G20 Voluntary Infrastructure Investment Action Plan to Accelerate the Deployment of Clean Cooking Solutions was negotiated and adopted at the G20 Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting by full consensus.
The following G20 Members and Invited Guest Countries supported and associated with the Chairs Summary: G20 Members – African Union, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Spain, and United Kingdom. Invited Countries – Algeria, Denmark, Ireland, Nigeria, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, and United Arab Emirates.
Presidency has reaffirmed that the G20, representing the world’s largest group of energy producers and consumers, carries a shared responsibility to strengthen global energy security, enhance energy access and affordability, and promote sustainable development through equitable and just energy transitions.
The Presidency has underscored that global energy transitions must remain inclusive, responsive to differing national circumstances, and grounded in the principles of cooperation and solidarity that underpin the G20’s mandate.
The Presidency has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing clean, sustainable, and inclusive energy transitions in line with Sustainable Development Goal 7, which seeks to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
Recognising that national pathways will differ, the Presidency has encouraged each country to pursue its transition journey in a manner consistent with its developmental priorities, capacities, and resource endowments.
The Presidency has reiterated that for many developing economies, in particular, energy addition remains a necessary complement to transition, ensuring that expanded access, industrialisation, and inclusive and shared growth.
The Presidency has reaffirmed that global energy transitions must be a catalyst for inclusive economic growth, industrialisation, and job creation. It has stressed that energy reform must not entrench inequality but rather serve as an instrument for shared prosperity.
Recognising Africa’s unique development context, the Presidency has reaffirmed the continent’s right to responsibly develop its resources to promote energy security, drive economic transformation, and eradicate energy poverty. It has called for Africa’s priorities to be more fully reflected in global energy governance and for enhanced partnerships that support implementation of these priorities, including affordable financing for energy infrastructure.
The Presidency has reaffirmed that energy security remains fundamental to national sovereignty, economic stability, and global prosperity. It has noted the ongoing volatility of global energy markets and has reaffirmed the relevance of the Voluntary Energy Security Toolkit as a practical resource for countries to strengthen their national systems.
The Toolkit has been developed to support countries in adopting integrated approaches to risk identification, regional interconnectivity, infrastructure resilience, energy efficiency, technological innovation, emergency preparedness, and workforce development, with particular relevance for developing economies.
The Presidency has further emphasised voluntary principles to strengthen national energy frameworks, including diversification of energy mix, regional interconnectivity, infrastructure resilience, energy efficiency, universal access, flexibility of systems, innovation, and readiness for emergencies.
Recalling the Voluntary Action Plan on Doubling the Global Rate of Improvement in Energy Efficiency, the Presidency has introduced the Voluntary Energy Affordability Toolkit as part of its deliverables to assist countries in reducing costs, improving access, and addressing energy poverty.
The Presidency has reaffirmed that energy efficiency remains the “first fuel” and has called for accelerated progress across sectors such as buildings, industry, transport, and power generation. It has encouraged investment in sustainable consumption practices, digital monitoring, efficient appliances, and commercially available technologies that lower costs and emissions.
The Presidency has also underscored that affordability and efficiency must advance together, supporting the goal of secure, reliable, and sustainable energy systems.
The Presidency has reaffirmed that inclusion and equality of opportunity are central to a just and sustainable energy transition. It has recognised that the empowerment and active participation of women, youth, Indigenous communities, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised groups are essential to shaping energy policy, guiding investment, and advancing implementation.
The Presidency has emphasised that expanding off-grid and mini-grid systems, supported by integrated energy planning, is essential to extending access and stimulating local economic development. Such systems have been recognised as vital for improving resilience, creating employment, and enabling inclusive growth, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
The Presidency has reiterated its commitment to work with partners to close the global energy access gap and reverse the trend of rising energy poverty, particularly across Africa, and other developing countries.
It has welcomed and endorsed Mission 300 (M300), co-led by the World Bank and the African Development Bank and endorsed by the African Union, which aims to deliver electricity and clean cooking access to 300 million Africans by 2030.
The Presidency has underscored that access to affordable finance, including concessional and blended instruments, remains critical to achieving universal access while maintaining affordability and stability. It has called upon governments, international financial institutions, and private investors to align capital flows with the objectives of M300 and country-led Energy Compacts.
Noting with concern that over 600 million Africans remain without access to electricity and nearly one billion lack clean cooking solutions, the Presidency has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving universal access to clean cooking through coordinated global efforts and progressive policy frameworks.
It has called for the mobilisation of resources from both public and private sectors, including the establishment of regional clean cooking funds where appropriate, and has encouraged the development of sustainable local value chains to support the adoption of clean cooking technologies and fuels.
The Presidency has reaffirmed that just, affordable, and inclusive energy transitions are central to achieving sustainable growth. It has emphasised that transitions must balance the energy trilemma of security, affordability, and sustainability, while respecting national priorities and promoting technology neutrality.
The Presidency has highlighted the importance of international cooperation, knowledge sharing, and capacity building, particularly across developing economies and within Africa.
It has launched the Action Agenda for Affordable and Inclusive Transitions as a framework to guide implementation and has urged multilateral development banks and international financial institutions to scale up financing across all affordable, reliable, and low-emission energy sources, including nuclear, wind, solar, hydro, natural gas, carbon reduction and abatement technologies, as well as battery storage systems.
The Presidency has reaffirmed the global objective to triple renewable energy capacity and to double the rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030. It has emphasised that achieving these targets is critical to ensuring affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy systems while supporting inclusive economic growth and job creation.
The Presidency has further underscored that expanding renewable energy deployment and strengthening efficiency measures must occur in a manner that reflects national priorities, supports local industrial development, mineral beneficiation at source, and promotes equitable access to the benefits of the energy transition.
The Presidency has emphasised that sustainable industrialisation, local value chain optimisation, and technology transfer on mutually agreed terms are key enablers of a fair and balanced transition. It has encouraged the establishment of Sustainable Industrialisation Hubs that build skills, enhance manufacturing capacity, and foster equitable participation in emerging value chains.
It has further noted the importance of clear, predictable market signals to stimulate investment in low-emission industries and reaffirmed that the global energy transition must narrow, rather than widen, the North–South divide. The Presidency therefore recognises Africa’s growing potential in the development of critical mineral value chains, low-emission hydrogen, and derivative technologies.
Acknowledging the support and partnership of the African Union and African Development Bank (AfDB), the Presidency has reaffirmed that regional power integration enhances energy access, affordability, and reliability while promoting economic cooperation and energy trade.
It has launched the High-Level Voluntary Principles for Advancing Regional Power Integration and Trade as a guide to strengthening political coordination, regulatory alignment, infrastructure development, and market design.
The Presidency has welcomed the approval, by the AU, of the Africa Ten-Year Infrastructure Investment Plan (TYIIP) for Cross-Border Interconnectivity as a platform for advancing continental integration, energy security, and regional economic growth.
It has encouraged collaboration among system operators, development finance institutions, multilateral development banks, and the private sector to expand investment in regional energy infrastructure, including renewables, hydro, gas, and nuclear, aligned with national development priorities.
The South African G20 Presidency has reaffirmed that energy transitions must be rooted in solidarity, equality, and sustainability. It has underscored that bridging the gaps in energy access, affordability, and financing is fundamental to achieving a truly global and just transition.
Under its G20 Presidency and beyond, South Africa remains committed to promoting inclusive cooperation, practical solutions, and equitable outcomes that advance secure, affordable, and sustainable energy systems as engines of growth, resilience, and shared prosperity.
The Presidency documents and publications are as follows:
Voluntary Energy Security Toolkit
Voluntary Energy Affordability Toolkit
Voluntary Principles for Sustainable Industrialisation Hubs, including low-to-zero emission Hydrogen and Ammonia
Action Agenda for Just and Inclusive Transitions
High-Level Voluntary Principles for Advancing Regional Power Integration and Trade
Africa Ten-Year Infrastructure Investment Plan (TYIIP) for Cross-Border Interconnectivity.
Source: Mineral Resources and Energy, South Africa
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