The OPEC Fund for International Development and the World Bank called for deeper regional cooperation and coordinated financing to help developing economies build resilient and affordable energy systems as demand and climate pressures intensify.
The appeal came during the opening day of the OPEC Fund and World Bank Europe and Central Asia Knowledge Series event titled “Financing Secure Energy Systems: Strategic Choices & Sustainable Solutions,” where policymakers, financiers and energy sector leaders examined how emerging economies can balance energy access, affordability and transition goals.
Opening the event, Abdulhamid Alkhalifa said developing and emerging economies are facing a growing energy “trilemma” as governments seek to expand electricity access while keeping energy affordable and pursuing cleaner energy systems.
“To achieve a just and affordable transition at scale, we must move beyond individual ‘projects’ and think in terms of integrated ecosystems,” he noted.
Discussions during the event focused on the challenge of turning political commitments under Mission 300 into household electricity connections, regional electricity integration through initiatives such as the ASEAN Power Grid, and the financing and safety considerations shaping renewed interest in nuclear energy.
Participants also examined the long-term responsibilities linked to nuclear energy development as countries search for stable power sources capable of supporting industrial growth and rising electricity consumption.
Across the sessions, delegates emphasized that stronger regional cooperation, system-wide planning and blended financing approaches will be necessary to build secure and sustainable energy systems capable of withstanding economic volatility and climate-related disruptions.
