At a Europe-Africa Summit in Gaborone 22 years ago, I proposed and got accepted a motion allocating part of Europe’s mega aid-development budget to fund a massive African renewable energy programme in partnership with private companies.
I was Britain’s minister for Africa at the time, and argued that Europe needed to make this investment, both to combat climate change and because much of Europe’s prosperity was rooted in historic exploitation of Africa and many European companies continue to reap large profits on the continent, not least from fossil fuels.
The Africa-European Union Energy Partnership (AEEP) followed, but it has yet to make real progress towards making the continent, with its vast natural resources, a world leader in renewable energy.
Although acknowledging the need to make that transition, many African states are simultaneously developing fossil fuel reserves.
Kenya, for instance, has both been building the biggest wind farm in Africa near lake Turkana and developing oil fields there. Mozambique and Tanzania are developing huge offshore gas reserves.
Nigeria and Angola are each processing hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil per day. European fossil fuel companies are exploiting Africa’s huge reserves, violating Europe’s own climate commitments. South Africa, for example, has recently increased coal exports to Europe to replace Russian gas following President Vladimir Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine.
After the UN’s Cop26 climate meeting concluded last November, Mary Robinson, chair of The Elders and a former president of Ireland, remarked on a “historically shameful dereliction of duty” by world leaders. But at least the UK, US, Germany, France and the EU committed to provide $8.5-billion to South Africa for its transition to renewable energy in a way that protected coal miners and their communities. Potentially a game-changer in how countries could wean their economies off fossil fuels, while protecting jobs and livelihoods.
However, in June, Robinson pointed out that “as is so often the case with high-profile financial commitments made in the media spotlight of global summits … the promised billions have yet to materialise”.
No wonder critics complain that fine words on climate change ring rather hollow. DM
This article first appeared in African Business on 5 August 2022
Discussion about this post