UNDP and IBM leverage AI and geospatial intelligence to support equitable and inclusive energy transitions
Access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy remains one of the most persistent development challenges of our time. Today, over 1 billion people still live in energy poverty, without access to reliable, affordable, or adequate energy services, according to data from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of Michigan. Lack of access to modern energy services constrains nearly every dimension of development, including healthcare delivery, education outcomes, digital connectivity, industrial productivity, and climate resilience. For governments and development partners, the challenge is not only the scale of the access gap, but the complexity of deciding where and how to invest limited public and private capital for maximum development impact.
Traditional electricity access statistics are often highly aggregated at national levels and insufficiently linked to broader development, equity, and climate considerations. As countries accelerate clean energy transitions, policymakers need tools that integrate climate and socioeconomic risk and inform more equitable and development-aligned investment decisions. There is also a growing need for modeling that can inform decision-making through projecting development outcomes from potential sustainable energy policy and investment scenarios.
To help address this challenge, UNDP sought to strengthen its analytical and decision-support capabilities combining geospatial data, AI, and development expertise, and collaborated with IBM to co-develop analytical models that support evidence-based energy planning at scale.
represented in the Clean Energy Equity Index
covered by the Electricity Access Forecasting Model
UNDP joined forces with IBM to develop advanced analytical tools that support countries in accelerating progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) — ensuring affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all — one of the UN’s 17 global goals.
The partnership brought together UNDP’s country-level development expertise and policy leadership with IBM’s capabilities in AI, cloud computing, and geospatial analytics. These models were developed through the IBM® Impact Accelerator program to strengthen the availability and usability of high-resolution data for evidence-based policymaking and investment planning.
The Clean Energy Equity Index (CEEI), co-developed with Stony Brook University, is a geospatial analytical model designed to help governments and development partners identify where clean energy investments can deliver the greatest equity and development impact. The model integrates multiple dimensions—including clean energy potential, socioeconomic need, infrastructure readiness, and climate-related risks—into a spatially explicit index. Integrated climate risk indicators and environmental data enhance the model’s ability to reflect future vulnerabilities. An integrated dashboard lets users customize each factor and evaluate its impact, empowering informed decision-making across the African continent.
The Electricity Access Forecasting model was created with IBM watsonx.ai®, an enterprise-grade AI development studio, IBM Cloud®, and open-source machine learning models. It produces projections for electricity access through 2030 at a 1 km resolution, using geospatial, demographic, infrastructure, and land-use data provided by IBM Environmental Intelligence to help identify populations at risk of being left behind under current development trajectories. Unlike historical access maps, the forecasting model allows policymakers to anticipate future access gaps and explore alternative scenarios. It contains data across the Global South, including in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East.
Together, these public tools are designed to move beyond descriptive statistics toward forward-looking, spatially granular decision support, enabling governments and development partners to align energy investments with equity, climate resilience, and national development priorities.
Through the UNDP–IBM collaboration, UNDP has strengthened its ability to support governments in expanding electricity access and advancing clean energy equity. The Clean Energy Equity Index provides localized insights across 53 countries in Africa, helping identify priority areas where clean energy deployment can support inclusive development outcomes. The Electricity Access Forecasting model is global, covering 102 countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East.
UNDP teams and external users can interact with the models through intuitive dashboards that support filtering, comparison, and scenario exploration. These tools help policymakers identify underserved populations, understand trade-offs, and design more equitable policy and investment strategies. Capacity development has been a core component of the initiative. Through training and applied use of the tools, UNDP teams and partners have strengthened their ability to integrate equity, climate risk, and future access considerations into energy planning and project design. This enhanced capability supports more informed policy dialogue and enables UNDP to more effectively support governments and financing partners in identifying and prioritizing energy investments that maximize long-term development impact and advance a just and inclusive energy transition.
As UNDP continues to support countries in accelerating clean and inclusive energy transitions, AI-enabled analytics and geospatial tools are becoming essential for measuring progress, anticipating risks, and helping countries advance equitable and sustainable energy transitions.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works in approximately 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities, and build resilience to crises and climate change. As the United Nations’ development agency, UNDP supports countries in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by strengthening institutions, supporting expanded access to sustainable energy and finance, and advancing inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development.
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