“Unlocking Africa’s Potential: The Key to Economic Growth Lies in Clean Energy and Adaptation, Says UN Climate Chief”
UN climate chief Simon Stiell has emphasized the urgent need for action on clean energy and adaptation in Africa, stating that it presents the single greatest opportunity to uplift African people and economies. Speaking at a conference of African environment ministers in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Stiell highlighted the importance of investments in renewable energy and climate resilience to combat the disproportionate burden African countries face from climate change.
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), temperatures in Africa are rising slightly faster than the global average, leading to more frequent and severe deadly floods, droughts, and extreme heatwaves. This has resulted in African countries losing between 2 and 5 percent of their GDP annually due to climate-related hazards, as stated in a new WMO report cited by Stiell.
Stiell urged world leaders, especially those from the G20 group of the largest economies, to recognize the impact of climate change on Africa and to take action. He emphasized the need for exponential changes in business, investments, and growth to strengthen Africa’s role in climate solutions, including investments in renewables such as solar and wind power, energy efficiency, clean cooking, and adaptation measures.
Despite the pressing need for climate action in Africa, investments in clean energy and related infrastructure upgrades remain low. In 2023, only $39 billion was invested in clean energy across the African continent, accounting for just 2% of the global total, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Fossil fuel supply and power generation continue to attract the majority of energy investments in Africa.
Efforts to prepare for and adapt to the escalating impacts of climate change are also underfunded. Climate adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to cost between $30 billion and $50 billion annually over the next decade, yet the region only received an estimated $10.8 billion in adaptation finance between 2021 and 2022, according to the Climate Policy Initiative.
At the upcoming COP29 UN climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, countries are expected to agree on a new collective quantified goal for finance that will channel more funding into both adaptation and clean energy in developing nations. However, there are deep divisions among governments on key issues such as the size of the goal, funding priorities, and contributions from different countries.
China recently pledged $51 billion in financial support to Africa for infrastructure, agriculture, and trade development, including 30 clean energy and green development projects. Stiell emphasized the importance of COP29 signaling that the climate crisis is a core priority for every government, with financial solutions to match. He called for progress on various finance sources, including a global carbon market and operationalizing the new loss and damage fund, to drive climate progress in Africa and beyond.
In conclusion, Stiell stressed that an empowered Africa taking bold climate actions is in the interest of every nation. The need for increased investment in clean energy and adaptation in Africa is crucial to mitigate the impacts of climate change and uplift the continent’s people and economies.