Africa’s Sustainable, Climate Resilient Energy Trajectory Must be supported: H.E. Amani Abou Zeid at the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum

African Union Commissioner Addresses International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum

The International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum (IVECF) took place on 2-3 November 2023 in the Austrian capital, bringing together thousands of delegates to discuss solutions for promoting green industrialization and establishing sustainable value chains for low carbon technologies. Dr Amani Abou-Zeid, the African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, addressed the forum at the high-level plenary session titled “Solutions for Advancing Green Industrialization and Sustainable Value Chains”.

Africa’s Sustainable Energy Development Trajectory

Commissioner Abou-Zeid emphasized that Africa is pursuing a sustainable energy development trajectory, with 45% of its energy already being generated through renewables. She highlighted that the switch to renewable energy in Africa was driven by the need for energy self-sufficiency and to combat the devastating effects of climate change. However, despite being disproportionately affected by climate change, Africa only receives about 2%-3% of global climate finance. Commissioner Abou-Zeid attributed this situation to unfair interest rates imposed on the continent.

Africa’s Adaptability and Opportunities for Technology Innovation

Commissioner Abou-Zeid acknowledged Africa’s ability to embrace and adapt to new technologies, as demonstrated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Africa quickly digitalized its economy to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. She emphasized that Africa has the opportunity to leapfrog outdated energy infrastructure and directly adopt modern, sustainable, and smart technologies. Commissioner Abou-Zeid called for rethinking partnerships to create frameworks and initiatives that encourage technology innovation and transfer, technical cooperation, and reforms to the international financial architecture.

Rethinking the Supply Chain for Clean Energy Technologies

The demand for critical minerals essential for clean energy technologies has reached unprecedented levels and is projected to rise further in the coming decades. Commissioner Abou-Zeid stressed the need to rethink the entire supply chain, moving away from an exclusively export-oriented focus. She emphasized the importance of creating a manufacturing base for energy equipment and systems in Africa to reduce costs, achieve production at scale, and add value to the local supply.

Collaboration with UNIDO and Focus on Green Technologies

Commissioner Abou-Zeid met with Mr. Gerhard Müller, the Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), during the forum. They expressed the need to work together to support green technologies and focus on adding more value in Africa. Commissioner Abou-Zeid highlighted that green industrialization is still in its nascent stage in Africa, presenting ample opportunities for cooperation in various fields such as solar panels, green hydrogen, wind turbines, geothermal energy, and other green and renewable technologies. She identified the local production of batteries as a perfect starting point for collaboration between the African Union (AU) and UNIDO. Prioritizing local battery production would pave the way for cooperation in storage and other related sectors. Commissioner Abou-Zeid suggested that UNIDO’s technical expertise could help formulate a harmonized policy approach on batteries at the continental level.

Encouraging Local Investment and Future Collaboration

Both parties discussed ways to encourage local investment in renewable technologies, their cooperation during the upcoming COP28, and the potential drafting of a joint memo on possible areas of collaboration.

Media Inquiries

1. Molalet Tsedeke | Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission | mobile +251 (0) 911630631 | E-mail: MolalettT@africa-union.org
2. Bezayit Eyoel | Department of Infrastructure and Energy | African Union Commission | Mobile: +251913223288 | E-mail: BezayitE@africa-union.org

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