The objective of UNESCAP's energy activities is to strengthen the capacity of member and associate member countries to achieve sustainable energy development. The objective is pursued through two main tiers of operation: facilitation of policy dialogues and technical assistance activities on energy for sustainable development.

Within the context of changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI) of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) calls for coordinated action towards energy for sustainable development, increasing energy efficiency, accelerating the use of renewable energy, and integrating energy considerations into socio-economic programmes. Access to reliable and affordable energy services is recognized as a critical input to eradicating poverty and achieving the millennium development goals. In its commitment to increase access to energy, the WSSD thus places sustainable energy development centrally in the nexus of environmental protection, economic development, and social development