This project aims to improve the capacity of policymakers by supporting them to develop SDG 7 roadmaps which enable the delivery of both the sustainable energy transition and the economic recovery from COVID-19. It will do this by engaging stakeholders at the national level through consultation workshops in each participating country. The workshops will be used to explain the customized methodology used to develop the SDG 7 roadmaps and to identify the relevant national context and strategies relating to the SDG 7 targets, nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and COVID-19 recovery. ESCAP has developed the National Expert SDG Tool for Energy Planning (NEXSTEP), an integrated and innovative approach to policy decision-making which combines technical, economic and socio-environmental analysis using a methodology that has been peer reviewed by a panel of external experts. Planners and policymakers will be trained in the use of the NEXSTEP tool and will be supported in its implementation to incorporate the country’s broader goals and green economic recovery strategy. Applying this tool, planners and policymakers will have the capacity to produce a national SDG 7 roadmap for each country, highlighting the key findings and recommendations arising from the work. While previous versions of NEXSTEP have provided a preliminary feasibility assessment for infrastructure investments, the process of roadmap implementation (including engagement with investors) has been left to the respective governments. While many feasible investments are available, the capacity to engage with private investors is limited in some countries and presents a significant barrier to implementation. This project will identify mechanisms for attracting private investment for implementing the priorities identified in the roadmap, and initiate engagement between governments and the private sector for this purpose. In three of the countries (to be selected on the basis of their energy systems’ good prospects for private investors), the project will support deepening of these relationships with a programme of work including activities such as the facilitation of start-up accelerators, demo days and investment pitches.