SDG 7 holds the promise of access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, as well as a substantial increase in the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. But what are these commitments likely to translate to, in practice? In this UNRISD seminar, we teamed up with local and global thinkers and actors to discuss the types of transformations required to produce energy sustainably, and what that means for the economies, societies and environments in which global energy systems function.