Yumkella Joins High-Level Panel on Universal Energy Abundance

Yumkella Joins High-Level Panel on Universal Energy Abundance

The Chairman of Sierra Leone’s Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy, and Food Security (PI-CREF), Kandeh Yumkella, has been appointed to the newly established High-Level Panel on Universal Energy Abundance.

Launched by the Rockefeller Foundation in collaboration with Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, the panel convenes prominent policymakers, industry leaders, and development experts to accelerate global access to reliable and affordable energy.

Announced this week, the initiative seeks to transcend basic electrification by ensuring an energy supply robust enough to catalyze industrialization, job creation, and sustainable economic growth within emerging markets.

Chaired by former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, the panel is scheduled to deliver a comprehensive report in 2028 detailing strategic policy recommendations and investment frameworks.

In anticipation of the panel's objectives, Yumkella is presiding over an Expert Group Meeting and Ministerial Conference in late April 2026. This convening will focus on validating investment pipelines, aligning regional policy, and adopting the Freetown Communiqué to guide strategic action.

With over 30 years of experience in sustainable development, Yumkella has been instrumental in shaping global consensus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 7 (Energy) and SDG 9 (Innovation and Infrastructure).

In his capacity as Chairman of PI-CREF, he continues to spearhead Sierra Leone’s national energy transformation, focusing on expanding generation capacity and improving electrification rates nationwide.

His appointment reinforces Africa’s leadership in global energy governance, addressing the critical intersection of closing energy gaps, fostering industrial growth, and building climate-resilient infrastructure.

The panel will investigate scalable energy solutions, the integration of emerging technologies, the mobilization of sustainable finance, and the optimization of regulatory frameworks.