Joint Letter from World Leaders in Support of the Energy Transition

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has signed a joint letter, along with 16 other heads of state and government, in support of the energy transition. The document, entitled “All hands on deck for the just and equitable energy transition”, highlights the importance of accelerating the production and consumption of clean energy, based on the commitments made at COP28 and in the context of preparations for COP30, to be held in Brazil.

The release of the text comes at a time when world leaders are gathering in New York for the opening of the United Nations General Assembly. On this occasion, the “New York Climate Week” is also taking place.

Please find below the original English text of the joint letter.

Joint letter: All hands on deck for the just and equitable energy transition

The world is transitioning faster than ever towards clean energy. Last year alone, global spending hit a record $2tn, with $2 invested in clean energy for every $1 in fossil fuels, according to the International Energy Agency. In the power sector, investment in clean technologies outstripped fossil fuels by 10 to 1. This shift is driven by the existential threat of climate change, a shared recognition that energy security is national security, and the understanding that clean energy is the route to delivering energy security and growth for citizens.

This is a shift we have been working towards for years. It was reinforced by the collective goals set out at COP28 in Dubai to ensure a fair and just energy transition in line with national circumstances. As renewables and other cleaner forms of energy assume a larger share of the energy mix, the share of fossil fuels will continue to decline.

The situation is clear: a clean energy transition is happening, and it is here to stay. We must ensure it is a just and equitable transition. That is the only approach that will truly be good for the planet, people and innovation. A just transition will help lower costs, promote growth, create new jobs and strengthen local economies. It will also promote energy security, as home-grown energy shelters consumers and businesses from market volatility.

While the overall direction is positive, stark disparities in access to energy and investment remain. Much more needs to be done to ensure the transition not only advances globally but also benefits the people and economies that need it most. Many countries still lack an enabling environment: infrastructure, affordable finance, technology and investment to participate in the clean energy transition.

This is particularly true for countries most vulnerable to climate change. Of the $2tn spent in 2024, only $40bn went to Africa. Although this is twice the 2020 level, it is still woefully insufficient. If we do not act, 550mn people on the continent will remain without modern access to energy in 2030. This uneven progress claims lives. Some 600,000 people in Africa die each year from respiratory disease linked to the use of polluting cooking fuels, perpetuating energy poverty, hindering economic growth and harming the environment.

There are significant funding gaps in South-east Asia. This is a huge opportunity for change and growth, with the region needing an extra $47bn a year in investment and skills development by 2035 to support clean energy.

Small island nations have abundant intermittent resources such as solar and offshore wind, but their transitions are hampered by limited access to affordable storage and to interconnections with international electricity grids.

Latin America offers unmatched availability of natural resources to expand renewable energy and sustainable fuels production. Despite having one of the cleanest energy mixes in the world and advancing efforts to diversify and increase sustainability of its energy sources, the region has only unlocked a fraction of its potential. Fossil fuel dependency, gaps in access to energy and the need to increase stable financing still pose significant challenges.

To bridge the gap and push ahead collectively with the transition, we launched the Global Energy Transitions Forum. It provides a space for governments, international institutions, banks, companies and philanthropies committed to accelerating a just, clean energy transition to work together. Each country has a unique context and a different starting point, so the Forum will be flexible and inclusive, fostering cooperation and alignment in our efforts.

Our shared vision is clear. We will unlock financing and de-risk investments, particularly in developing countries, by lowering costs, attracting capital and closing the financing gap, in close partnership with international financial institutions and development banks.

We will also strengthen collaboration across existing initiatives, including the Global Clean Power Alliance, the Global Coalition on Energy Planning and the Global Energy Efficiency Alliance, to ensure greater synergy and coherence in driving the global energy transition.

This includes amplifying efforts led by African, Latin American, South-east Asian and Pacific countries — such as the Accelerated Partnership for Renewable Energy in Africa, the Africa Energy Transition Programme, the African Green Industrialisation Initiative and the ASEAN Power Grid — and other home-grown initiatives that are already charting a path towards clean energy and economic growth. Through these, we can exchange best practice and learn from one another.

We will also scale up local manufacturing and the deployment of renewables and clean energy alternatives. This will focus on developing countries, which will be at the heart of our aim to reach 11TW of global installed renewable energy capacity by 2030.

By stepping up our efforts to meet our voluntary collective goals — including the COP28 goals to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030, including scaling up the production and use of sustainable fuels to replace fossils alternatives — we will foster economic growth while protecting our planet. Most importantly, we will work to ensure a just distribution of clean energy and the opportunities it creates.

As we head towards the crucial COP30 in Brazil later this year, the preparation of post-2030 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) presents an opportunity to raise ambition, build on existing commitments and set a path beyond them for the next decade. But we must also translate NDCs into action and investments on the ground that can transform lives and strengthen communities. This includes advancing reforms to the global financial architecture to ensure that multilateral finance and transition- finance mechanisms support the implementation of NDCs and the broader COP30 outcomes.

This is the decisive decade. The choices we make today will determine whether we seize this unprecedented opportunity for economic transformation or allow inertia to hold us back for years to come. The Global Energy Transitions Forum is a platform to drive clean energy access and ensure just, sustainable and inclusive energy transitions.

We call on leaders and the private sector to support this shared endeavour and unite in action. Together, we can unlock a more sustainable, equitable and prosperous future for all.

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Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia 

Muhammad Yunus, Head of the Interim Government of Bangladesh 

Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados 

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil 

Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada 

Judith Suminwa, Prime Minister of Democratic Republic of Congo 

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission 

Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada 

Laurent Saint-Cyr, Chairman of Transitional Presidential Council of Haiti 

Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica 

William Ruto, President of Kenya 

Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of Norway 

Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia 

Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 

Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa 

Suhail Almazrouei, United Arab Emirates, COP28 Presidency and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure 

Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 

Yamandú Orsi, President of Uruguay 

Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency 

Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency