The World Summit on Sustainable Development was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 26 August through 4 September 2002. With support from the Swedish International Development Assistance (Sida), ENERGIA undertook a leading role in mainstreaming gender and energy at WSSD.

The UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was created after the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. Its mandate was to coordinate the activities of other UN bodies as they relate to issues of sustainable development; to analyse progress at national, regional and international levels; and to promote the implementation of Agenda 21.