Sustainable Energy Access – A Critical Component for a Green Recovery in Africa

As countries rebuild economies from the impact of the pandemic, they are faced with a unique opportunity to ‘Recover Better’ with Sustainable Energy. There has never been a better time to invest in clean, efficient renewable energy. Countries that recover better with sustainable energy will see the pay off in the form of resilient economies, new jobs, and faster energy development. By making this investment, African countries can develop a competitive advantage.” -Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Sustainable Energy for All. 

Approximately 565 million people in Africa lack access to electricity. Likewise, there are an estimated 900 million people in Africa without access to clean cooking solutions. The health impact of cooking with polluting fuels means increased risk of respiratory disease and vulnerability to COVID-19 and increased exposure to the virus through the collection of firewood. To achieve universal access to electricity and clean cooking solutions in Africa by 2030, it is estimated that an annual investment of USD 29 billion in electricity infrastructure and USD 2 billion in clean cooking solution is required. These required funds cannot come from the public sector alone, but rather require access to private, institutional and household finance.

However, to do so will require new partnerships and collaboration. Governments across Africa are taking unprecedented steps to respond to the immediate health and economic impacts of COVID-19. Today’s decisions will impact tomorrow’s ability to recover over the long term and countries that take advantage of this moment to re-think their energy supplies will have a competitive advantage.

Compilation of additional resources in English, French, and Portuguese aligned with this webinar:

IEA unveils major new green Covid-19 recovery roadmap. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has set out a string of policy recommendations green Covid-19 recovery packages, which, if followed in full, could slash annual energy-related emissions by billions of tonnes, while creating jobs, improving air pollution and boosting GDP. – English

Put clean energy at the heart of stimulus plans to counter the coronavirus crisis. Coronavirus as a danger for clean energy transitions and a test of governments and companies’ commitment to the transition. – English

Corona crisis: making space for a greener economy. An article on why government should link climate change measures to efforts aimed at jump starting post-COVID economies. – English

Responding to Coronavirus: Low-carbon Investments Can Help Economies Recover. Governments and companies considering stimulus packages have two choices: They can lock in decades of polluting, inefficient, high-carbon and unsustainable development, or they can use this as an opportunity to accelerate the inevitable shift to low-carbon and increasingly affordable energy and transport systems that will bring long-term economic benefits. – English

Investimentos de baixo carbono podem ser resposta para crise econômica causada pelo novo coronavírus. Com a pandemia potencialmente desencadeando uma desaceleração econômica global, os líderes mundiais já estão procurando maneiras de sustentar as economias de seus países. Um conjunto crescente de evidências demonstra que buscar um crescimento de baixo carbono e resiliente é a melhor maneira de obter benefícios econômicos e sociais duradouros. – Portuguese

3 razões para investir em energia renovável agora. À medida que governos no mundo todo aumentam os pacotes de estímulo para criar empregos, duas coisas ficam claras: 1) devemos investir em setores que fortaleçam a saúde e o bem-estar das pessoas; e 2) precisamos reduzir a vulnerabilidade econômica e de infraestrutura. Sustentar indústrias antigas e poluentes não é uma solução. – Portuguese

Aumentando a ambição climática em tempos de Covid-19. Na era da Covid-19, precisamos identificar abordagens de recuperação que gerem empregos e crescimento econômico e, ao mesmo tempo, encontrar maneiras de construir resiliência global contra as mudanças climáticas e outras crises. – Portuguese

KENYA-GHANA : le bail de résilience Covid-19 de Redavia bénéficie à 4 entreprises. Le fournisseur de systèmes solaires photovoltaïques Redavia vient de signer des baux de résilience Covid-19 avec 4 entreprises au Kenya et au Ghana. Ce dispositif exceptionnel de Redavia permettra à ces sociétés de bénéficier gratuitement de l’énergie solaire pendant six mois. – French

La baisse des coûts des énergies renouvelables offre l’opportunité de stimuler l’action en faveur du climat dans les plans de relance économique. Alors que la COVID-19 frappe l’industrie des combustibles fossiles, un nouveau rapport montre que les énergies renouvelables sont plus rentables que jamais, offrant une opportunité de prioriser l’énergie propre dans les plans de relance économique et de se rapprocher des objectifs de l’Accord de Paris. – French

Le lien entre Covid-19 et le changement climatique. Cet article est écrit par Arthur Wyns , chercheur sur les changements climatiques pour l’Organisation mondiale de la santé. Cet article a été publié pour la première fois par le Forum économique mondial. Lisez l’article original ici. – French

CORONAVIRUS ET CLIMAT : 3 POINTS COMMUNS. L’épidémie de Coronavirus a-t-elle un effet sur le changement climatique et inversement ? Découvrez en trois points les menaces liant ces deux crises, mais aussi les opportunités de construire un monde plus juste et résilient face aux chocs sanitaires et climatiques. – French