Prof. Dr. Haider Ali Al-Dulaimi College of Administrative Sciences The relationship between poverty and energy represents one of the most fundamental challenges in the trajectory of sustainable development. The lack of access to modern and safe energy does not merely mean the absence of electricity; it perpetuates multiple forms of developmental deprivation — in education, health, production, employment opportunities, and human well-being. The first Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 1) emphasizes the eradication of poverty in all its forms, while SDG 7 seeks to ensure access to affordable and clean energy for all. The interaction between these two goals is not coincidental but rather a strategic axis for achieving developmental justice. Every developmental experience has proven that energy is the prerequisite for economic and social progress, and that societies lacking clean energy sources suffer from chronic poverty — not only material poverty but also poverty of opportunity, knowledge, and potential. The shift toward renewable energy — solar, wind, and hydropower — opens new horizons for reducing production costs, stimulating local innovation, and empowering rural and marginalized areas to engage in the green economy. This transformation also ensures the mitigation of climate change, which disproportionately affects the most vulnerable groups, thereby making clean energy a tool for both social and environmental justice. Ending poverty cannot be achieved through aid alone, but through empowering people with tools of production, knowledge, and energy. When energy becomes accessible and clean, the paths of development are illuminated, and the principle of “leaving no one behind” — the essence of the 2030 Sustainable Development Vision — becomes a tangible reality. Energy is not a technological luxury; it is a fundamental human right. The path out of poverty begins with a clean light that dispels the darkness of marginalization. Al-Mustaqbal University is ranked first among private universities