New publication "The State of Renewable Energy in Cities", features Sub-Saharan African cities’ leadership in renewables

As the demand for energy rises due to rapid population growth and urbanisation, cities in Sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly recognising the opportunities of renewable energy use. While national governments often have the mandate to govern energy infrastructure, local governments hold a unique position to positively influence energy use towards climate-friendly systems and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

Since 2019, the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) programme has been co-funded by the European Union (EU), the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). CoM SSA supports cities and local governments on climate action and renewable energy. To this end, GIZ as a co-implementing partner of CoM SSA, co-financed the REN21 publication: Renewables in Cities 2021 Global Status Report, which features a deep-dive on renewable energy uptake in Sub-Saharan African cities.

The report identifies key opportunities and challenges for advancing renewables in urban settings of Sub-Saharan Africa, including specific details on: policy and regulation, access to financial markets, the need for city-level data and capacity building. Energy trends in CoM SSA signatory cities such as Tsévié, Dakar, Yaounde IV are highlighted in the deep-dive.

The report was presented on 25 March, during the Conversations with CoM SSA online seminar series on the state of renewable energy in African cities. The conversation brought together renewable energy experts, CoM SSA city signatories, and the REN21 community. The report, including the Sub-Saharan African feature can be accessed in an interactive format here.

Contact : comssa@giz.de