Publication date: 24 October 2022

Author: Nature Energy

Description: Aligning development and climate goals means Africa’s energy systems will be based on clean energy technologies in the long term, but pathways to get there are uncertain and variable across countries. Although current debates about natural gas and renewables in Africa are heated, they largely ignore the substantial context specificity of the starting points, development objectives and uncertainties of each African country’s energy system trajectory.

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Publication date: October 2022

Author: IEA

Description: The future of Africa’s energy sector is important globally. The International Energy Agency (IEA) is actively supporting evidence-based energy policy making in African countries with the aim of achieving affordable and clean energy, in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7. This includes ensuring universal access for all, promoting increased energy security and affordability, and accelerating the development of clean energy systems across Africa, through a sustainable and accelerated regional energy system transformation.

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Publication date: 26 August 2022

Author: Springer

Description: The phenomenon of deforestation is occurring globally, in different types of forests, and for various reasons. In Africa, an estimated 90 per cent of the entire continent’s population uses wood as a source energy for heating and cooking. However, the unsustainable harvesting of trees for heating energy not only contribute to forest and environmental degradation, but it is also a significant contributor to ill health, air pollution and climate change. Reducing the resulting adverse of ecological and health consequences will have to involve a mix of adopting renewable fuels and natural resource sustainable strategies.

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Publication date: 2 August 2022

Author: MDPI

Description: Water is an essential resource required for various human activities such as drinking, cooking, growing food, and personal hygiene. As a key infrastructure of public services, access to clean and safe drinking water is an essential factor for local socio-economic development. Despite various national and international efforts, water supply is often not guaranteed, especially in rural areas of Africa. Although many water resources are theoretically available in these areas, bodies of water are often contaminated with dangerous pathogens and pollutants. As a result, people, often women and children, have to travel long distances to collect water from taps and are exposed to dangers such as physical violence and accidents on their way. In this article, we present a socio-economic case study for rural development.

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Publication date: August 2022

Author: Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship

Description: The African continent continues to be massively affected by climate change, driving its countries to be ever more sensitive to vital poverty-related needs like access to energy, water, and agriculture. Social entrepreneurship is one key answer to unlock sustainable development. African countries living with extreme poverty are the most vulnerable to climate change because those two scourges overburden their population. This means that many challenges await Africa given that the continent has 9 out of the top 10 countries with the highest poverty rate in the world.

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Publication date: June 2022

Author: IEA

Description: Africa is already facing more severe climate change than most other parts of the world, despite bearing the least responsibility for the problem. With nearly one‐fifth of the world’s population today, Africa accounts for less than 3% of the world’s energy‐related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to date and has the lowest emissions per capita of any region. Africans are already disproportionately experiencing the negative effects of climate change, including water stress, reduced food production, increased frequency of extreme weather events and lower economic growth – all of which are fuelling mass migration and regional instability.

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Publication date: 8 April 2022

Author: Afrobarometer

Description: Electricity is a basic prerequisite for human development. The United Nations (UN) highlight “access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy for all” as its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 7 (United Nations Development Programme, 2019). Electrification powers the provision of resources for economic transformation and improved living conditions, especially for poor people (Blimpo & Cosgrove-Davies, 2019).

Globally, access to electricity improved significantly between 2000 and 2019, expanding coverage from 79% of the population to 90%. In sub-Saharan Africa, where basic electricity infrastructure is particularly weak, access improved from 26% to 47% over the same period (World Bank, 2022).

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Publication date: 5 April 2022

Authors: Solar Compass/Elsevier

Description: The mini-grid market in Africa is steadily growing and solar PV, wind, hydro or biomass-powered mini-grids are expected to be a major factor in the electrification of rural areas. However, mini-grid markets cannot realize their full potential as most energy regulators do not provide an appropriate answer to the simple question “What happens when the main grid arrives?”. The lack of regulatory security of tenure and potentially subsidized tariffs for main grid-sourced electricity risk stranded investments when the main grid arrives and thus threaten private sector participation and investment.

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Publication date: 2 February 2022

Author: USAID

Description: This document aims to serve as a resource for off-grid solar (OGS) companies, microfinance institutions (MFIs), and local banks (hereafter referred to together as MFIs) on providing loans for off-grid solar products in sub-Saharan Africa. The market for off-grid solar technology in this region is growing rapidly, and OGS companies and MFIs are naturally suited to helping each other enter and grow in this market. Moreover, by partnering to design and market loans for off-grid solar products, OGS companies and MFIs can help to increase access to energy, particularly for rural, low-income households, farmers, and small businesses. This document offers lessons learned from partnerships between MFIs and OGS companies, advice on gender and social inclusion, and information about piloting and scaling solar loans.

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Publication date: 2022

Author: AMDA

Description: Minigrids continue to gain traction as an integral component of the global energy ecosystem. With over 590 million Africans still living without access to electricity, major institutions such as the World Bank and the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimate that minigrids are essential to providing electricity to approximately half of all unelectrified communities in Africa. As governments revise their electrification plans, there is growing interest to mainstream minigrids, while donors and foundations continue to publicly commit funding to the industry and new businesses emerge to support the overall ecosystem. However, despite the increasing interest, scale has remained elusive. This report aims to provide clear, neutral and quantitative evidence that can support decision makers as they determine pathways to universal electrification.

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Publication date: January 2022

Author: IRENA

Description: An energy system centred on renewable energy can help resolve many of Africa’s social, economic, health and environmental challenges. A profound energy transition is not only feasible, it is essential for a climate-safe future in which sustainable development prerogatives are met. Renewables are key to overcoming energy poverty, providing needed energy services without damaging human health or ecosystems, and enabling a transformation of economies in support of development and industrialisation.

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Publication date: 2022

Authors: UNECA, RES4Africa and IRENA

Description: Under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) framework, Africa is pursuing broad-based development by addressing constraints to its long-term growth and transformation. The development vision of Africa is anchored on Agenda 2063, articulated through the Africa We Want, and the United Nations Agenda 2030. To meet these goals, by leveraging the immense potential of the continent, further bold steps are needed both in addressing barriers to growth and in adopting forwardlooking policies to create new opportunities for improving livelihoods and increasing prosperity on the continent. The infrastructure gap in Africa is among the greatest barriers to growth, impacting investment across sectors.

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Publication date: 2022

Author: Wärtsilä

Description: Despite the diversity of the African countries, the ingredients of the energy transition are the same for every nation. Renewable energy, supported by flexible balancing capacity, is the most effective way to replace inflexible generation, reduce energy costs, increase energy access, and improve reliability.

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Publication date: October 2021

Author: World Meteorological Organization

Description: The State of the Climate in Africa 2020 report provides a snapshot of climate change trends and impacts, including sea level rise and the melting of the continent’s iconic glaciers. It highlights Africa’s disproportionate vulnerability and shows how the potential benefits of investments in climate adaptation, weather and climate services and early warning systems far outweigh the costs.

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Publication date: November 2021

Authors: RES4Africa and PwC

Description: Africa’s electricity grids are characterised by infrastructural flaws, inefficiency and limited coverage, preventing universal access to electricity and hampering the continent’s development. RES4Africa and PwC present the new study "Private Sector Participation in African Grid Development", examining the phenomenon, its causes and viable solutions. The analysis is focused on ten countries (Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia).

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Publication date: October 2021

Author: Power Africa

Description: Global Women’s Network for the GWNET empowers women in energy through interdisciplinary networking, advocacy, training, coaching and mentoring. GWNET seeks to address the current gender imbalances in the energy sector and to promote gender-sensitive action around the energy transition in all parts of the world. GWNET facilitates connections among women working in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency to advance the energy transition.

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Publication date: 23 September 2021

Author: WEF

Description: Africa’s power sector will play a central role in the transition from fossil fuel-driven power generation to a renewable-strong energy mix. The migration to a multi-stakeholder-oriented net-zero power grid is being driven by “the 3Ds:”

• Decarbonization: moving from fossil fuel sources to renewables
• Decentralization: Shifting from centrally managed generation, transmission, and distribution to decentralized systems
• Digitalization: Leveraging digital technology to advance the transition

The report contends that new coalitions and investments with developed nations and NGOs including the World Economic Forum must coordinate and enable countries to leapfrog existing technologies and infrastructure.

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Publication date: September 2021

Author: AERC

Description: Access to electricity leads to overall economic growth through improved agricultural and firm productivity, public service delivery, and enhanced household investment in human capital, net income, and general quality of life. Yet more than 540 million people in Africa still lack electricity today, and many more suffer from unreliable power supply. The considerable untapped renewable energy potential, and the associated rapid reductions in cost, make sustainable and decentralized electricity service a promising option for the continent, for transforming these deficits into opportunities.

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Publication date: August 2021

Author: AEEP

Description: The Africa-EU Energy Partnership’s European Financial Flows on SDG7 to Africa report quantifies global commitments made towards the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 7 in Africa for the period 2014-2019. Estimating annual investment needs and assessing the present funding gap, the report shows clearly the progress made to date and highlights the quality of financing mobilised to support the SDGs and Agenda 2063, while also detailing the equitability of European financial flows through targeted support for poorer countries.

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Publication date: August 2021

Author: friends of the earth africa

Description: The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report’s findings are both dire and clear: unless there are immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, limiting warming to close to 1.5°C or even 2°C will be beyond reach. Climate change is already devastating too many lives and livelihoods. We need a change, we need an energy transformation.

Yet there is hope. Friends of the Earth Africa’s ‘Just Recovery Renewable Energy Plan for Africa’ shows that it is not only urgent, but entirely possible, to reduce emissions, transform the energy system and support a just recovery on the continent.

Friends of the Earth Africa believes that the triple crises of climate change, energy poverty in Africa and COVID-19 recovery must be addressed together. This ‘Just Recovery Renewable Energy Plan’ outlines how the continent can dismantle existing dirty energy systems to leapfrog Africa to 100% renewable energy for all by 2050. Such a plan would require over 300 gigawatts (GW) of new renewable energy by 2030, as agreed by the African Union, and over 2000 GW by 2050.

The report, based on the work of renowned academic Dr Sven Teske from Sydney University, demonstrates how a Just Recovery plan could be achieved for US$130 billion per year and funded through public finance from the global North, putting an end to tax dodging and dropping the debt. It also highlights the potential to create 7 million new jobs in renewable energy.

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