Africa and the Politics of Energy Transition: Phase Out, Phase Down, or Transition Away?
POLICY BRIEF This policy brief examines the evolving debate within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on reducing fossil fuel dependence and its implications for African countries. It analyses the three dominant transition visions currently shaping global climate negotiations: phase out, phase down, and transition away from fossil fuels; and argues that…
FROM MARGINS TO MANDATE: A Framework for Civil Society Engagement in Mission 300
Mission 300, a collaboration between the World Bank Group (WBG), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and others, seeks to connect 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa to electricity by 2030. While this ambition represents a historic opportunity to accelerate Africa’s energy access goals, especially for the roughly 630 million1 In a region without electricity, its…
Asserting Sovereignty: A Strategic Agenda for Africa in the Global Energy Transition
Africa is indispensable to the global energy transition, but remains structurally sidelined in the decisions shaping it. This policy paper calls on African states to reclaim policy sovereignty, resist extractive green models, and chart a transition anchored in equity, industrial development, and regional resilience. Drawing on case studies and two years of multi-stakeholder dialogues, it offers…
Energy poverty in Africa: situation, impact, and solutions
By Eugene N Nforngwa Energy poverty, or the lack of access to modern energy services, is a major challenge for Africa’s development and well-being. Despite the continent’s rich natural resources and potential for renewable energy, millions of Africans still live without electricity, clean cooking facilities or reliable transportation. This has serious consequences for their health,…
Green Hydrogen in Africa: Risks and benefits
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AREI FORUM 2nd EDITION AFRICAN RENEWABLE ENERGY Final Communique
From July 25 to 27 – in Cairo AREI organized the 2nd edition of the African Renewable Forum, co-organized with the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy. More than 600 participants – 51 countries, 43 African and global regional organizations attended the 2nd edition of the AREI Forum. The objective of the forum –…
ADDRESSING CHALLENGES WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY FINANCING: “Catalyzing Access to Inclusive Renewable Energy Finance: Elaborating the Role of CSOs, Microfinance and Private Sector”
Abuja, Nigeria, 15th July 2021; Sheraton Abuja Hotel With over 800 million people in Sub Saharan Africa still lacking access to energy, and the pace of bridging this gap needs to be accelerated. Many existing solutions have provided selective and limited support, while the innovative mechanisms are also unfriendly towards small-scale projects. Weak governance, limited…
Climate focused transitional justice
The Covid 19 pandemic has created human suffering on a global scale, but also a strange window of opportunity to rethink how we live, work and play. For the time being, calls for a green recovery that builds back better by cutting greenhouse gas emissions, protecting the environment and creating a fairer, more equitable society…
CSO PERSPECTIVES ON AREI
A new report urges AREI to ensure transparency and accountability. The survey was developed by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) and the African Coalition for Sustainable Energy and Access (ASCEA) in cooperation with Climate Action Network (CAN), Réseau Climat & Développement, Bread for the World, and Germanwatch. Its goal was to elicit African…
CSO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE AFRICA RENEWABLE ENERGY INITIATIVE
In the following paragraphs, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have outlined their thoughts, recommendations, and proposal on relevant aspects of the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI). CSOs support AREI and its two main goals—providing universal access to clean, appropriate, and affordable energy, and helping African countries to leapfrog towards Renewable Energy (RE) systems. However, as the…
