ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire (PAMACC News) - Solar projects stretching across the Sahel region are expected to connect 250m people with electricity by tapping into the region’s abundant solar resource.
The details of the “Desert to Power Initiative” have been outlined as part of the Paris Agreement climate change talks at COP24 in Katowice, Poland this week.
Energy poverty in Africa is estimated to cost the continent 2-4 % GDP annually, according to the African Development Bank (AfDB), which is leading the project.
The Initiative aims to develop and provide 10 GW of solar energy by 2025 and supply 250 million people with green electricity including in some of the world’s poorest countries. At least 90 million people will be connected to electricity for the first time, lifting them out of energy poverty.
Currently, 64% of the Sahel’s population - covering Senegal, Nigeria, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Sudan, and Eritrea - lives without electricity, a major barrier to development, with consequences for education, health and business.
By harnessing the exceptional solar resource in the region, AfDB and its partners hope to transform the region.
Magdalena J. Seol in the AfDB’s Desert to Power Initiative said,“Energy is the foundation of human living - our entire system depends on it. For Africa right now, providing and securing sustainable energy is in the backbone of its economic growth.” adding that lack of energy remains as a significant impediment to Africa’s economic and social development,”
The project will provide many benefits to local people, said Ms Seol: It will improve the affordability of electricity for low income households and enable people to transition away from unsafe and hazardous energy sources, such as kerosene, which carry health risks.
Construction of the project will also create jobs and help attract private sector involvement in renewable energy in the region.
Many women-led businesses currently face bigger barriers than men-led enterprises to accessing grid electricity - so the project has the potential to increase female participation in economic activities and decision-making processes.
The project has been launched in collaboration with the Green Climate Fund, a global pot of money created by the 194 countries who are party to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to support developing countries adapt to and mitigate climate change. The program is designed to combine private sector capital with blended finance.
“If you look at the countries that this initiative supports, they’re the ones who are very much affected by the climate change and carbon emissions from other parts of the world,” said Ms Seol.
“Given this, the investments will have a greater effect in these regions, which have a greater demand and market opportunity in the energy sector.”
“Women are usually disproportionately negatively affected by energy access issues. Providing a secure and sustainable electricity creates positive impact on gender issue as well.”
The African continent holds 15% of the world’s population, yet is poised to shoulder nearly 50% of the estimated global climate change adaptation costs, according to the Bank.
These costs are expected to cut across health, water supply, agriculture, and forestry, despite the continent’s minimal contribution to global emissions.
However, the International Renewable Energy Agency estimates that Africa’s renewable energy potential could put it at the forefront of green energy production globally.
It is estimated to have an almost unlimited potential of solar capacity (10 TW), abundant hydro (350 GW), wind (110 GW), and geothermal energy sources (15 GW) - and a potential overall renewable energy capacity of 310 GW by 2030.
Other renewables projects in Africa include The Ouarzazate solar complex in Morocco, which is one of the largest concentrated solar plants in the world.
It has produced over 814 GWh of clean energy since 2016 and last year, the solar plant prevented 217,000 tons of CO2 being emitted. Until recently, Morocco sourced 95% of its energy needs from external sources
In South Africa, the Bank and its partner, the Climate Investment Fund, have helped fund the Sere Wind Farm - 46 turbines supplying 100 MW to the national power grid and expected to save 6 million tonnes of greenhouse gases over its 20 year expected life span. It is supplying 124,000 homes.
COP24 is the 24th conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This year countries are preparing to implement the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the world’s global warming to no more than 2C.
CATOWICE, Poland (PAMACC News) - The UN Climate Change Conference has entered into the final day of the first week termed as the technical segment. Few agenda items have been concluded and many, especially the essential ones, are not even near to be concluded in time to be taken forward to our Ministers who will be joining the conference next week for the second part of the high-level segment.
We have seen progress on Agriculture, Gender and NAPs but there are serious concerns on the climate finance, adaptation and the finalization of the robust Paris Agreement Work Programme. We have taken stock of these alarming proceedings and share the following on the elements below:
Climate Finance
At the start of the COP24, African Civil Society demanded for fulfilment on pre-2020 climate finance commitments, putting in place robust system for reporting on the support and ensuring new, additional and predictable climate finance beyond 2025. African civil society are gravely concerned about very slow progress on the climate finance agenda items with developed countries not committing to fulfil their pre-2020 commitment and not agreeing on even initiating the process for the new quantified climate finance goal. Conclusions on how the Adaptation Fund shall serve the Paris Agreement, including ensuring adequate resource mobilization for the Fund, have not yet been agreed.
African civil society see a clear intent for the developed country Parties to shift their Convention obligation on provision of climate finance to private institutions and worse enough to developing countries. This is and will not be acceptable.
Adaptation
African civil society takes note of the progress on the NAPs whereby a conclusion has been reached and taken forward to SBI; but we are concerned with the overall dealings of the adaptation with no equal treatment as other elements. Adaptation has been stripped off from the transparency framework discussion and may not be part of the MRV. The elements from the transparency discussion also affect guidance to the modalities for adaptation communication.
African civil society reiterates that adaptation remains to be a priority for African countries.
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
The discussion on features and timeframe for the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) started even before COP21 and the Paris Agreement. We are disappointed by continuous dragging of agenda which should have been concluded in this first week. African civil society supports NDCs with all elements and a five-year timeframe to be in line with the Global Stocktake.
Mitigation
Developed country Parties are obliged to reduce emission and support developing countries to contribute to the efforts. African civil society has observed intent to shift the obligations to developing countries avoiding differentiation and flexibility in both reduction and reporting process.
We urge the COP24 Presidency to show great determination and leadership to ensure the best outcomes of the conference. This includes a robust and balanced Paris Agreement Work Program that covers all elements and meets the required ambition; and a comprehensive framework for fulfilment and reporting of the pre-2020 commitments and ambitions. We emphasize that the legacy of the Katowice Conference lies on these issues and will be placed in history books as one of the stepping stones that paved the way for future generation. Whether positive or undesirable outcomes, it will remain in our books.
CATOWICE, Poland (PAMACC News) - The UN Climate Change Conference has entered into the final day of the first week termed as the technical segment. Few agenda items have been concluded and many, especially the essential ones, are not even near to be concluded in time to be taken forward to our Ministers who will be joining the conference next week for the second part of the high-level segment.
We have seen progress on Agriculture, Gender and NAPs but there are serious concerns on the climate finance, adaptation and the finalization of the robust Paris Agreement Work Programme. We have taken stock of these alarming proceedings and share the following on the elements below:
Climate Finance
At the start of the COP24, African Civil Society demanded for fulfilment on pre-2020 climate finance commitments, putting in place robust system for reporting on the support and ensuring new, additional and predictable climate finance beyond 2025. African civil society are gravely concerned about very slow progress on the climate finance agenda items with developed countries not committing to fulfil their pre-2020 commitment and not agreeing on even initiating the process for the new quantified climate finance goal. Conclusions on how the Adaptation Fund shall serve the Paris Agreement, including ensuring adequate resource mobilization for the Fund, have not yet been agreed.
African civil society see a clear intent for the developed country Parties to shift their Convention obligation on provision of climate finance to private institutions and worse enough to developing countries. This is and will not be acceptable.
Adaptation
African civil society takes note of the progress on the NAPs whereby a conclusion has been reached and taken forward to SBI; but we are concerned with the overall dealings of the adaptation with no equal treatment as other elements. Adaptation has been stripped off from the transparency framework discussion and may not be part of the MRV. The elements from the transparency discussion also affect guidance to the modalities for adaptation communication.
African civil society reiterates that adaptation remains to be a priority for African countries.
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
The discussion on features and timeframe for the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) started even before COP21 and the Paris Agreement. We are disappointed by continuous dragging of agenda which should have been concluded in this first week. African civil society supports NDCs with all elements and a five-year timeframe to be in line with the Global Stocktake.
Mitigation
Developed country Parties are obliged to reduce emission and support developing countries to contribute to the efforts. African civil society has observed intent to shift the obligations to developing countries avoiding differentiation and flexibility in both reduction and reporting process.
We urge the COP24 Presidency to show great determination and leadership to ensure the best outcomes of the conference. This includes a robust and balanced Paris Agreement Work Program that covers all elements and meets the required ambition; and a comprehensive framework for fulfilment and reporting of the pre-2020 commitments and ambitions. We emphasize that the legacy of the Katowice Conference lies on these issues and will be placed in history books as one of the stepping stones that paved the way for future generation. Whether positive or undesirable outcomes, it will remain in our books.
KATOWICE, Poland (PAMACC News) - Over 30,000 delegates including environmental experts, policy makers, civil society organisations, government delegations and UN representatives are meeting in Katowice, Poland for two weeks to discuss the future of planet earth, in regard to climate change – and the message is very clear.
In line with the Paris Agreement, which is an accord within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), dealing with greenhouse-gas-emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance, starting in the year 2020, the world is raring to go green.
Kenya has been part of the negotiation journey that has been calling for a green economy, and scaling down of the emission of greenhouse gases for the past 24 years, and this could be one of the reasons why President Kenyatta through his party manifesto promised to protect the environment partly using green energy.
The greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide are important for keeping the planet warm upon reaction with rays from the sun. But over-emission of the gases has made the planet warmer than required, leading to over-evaporation of water from the earth surface, which leads to droughts, and when it rains, it is erratic without a particular pattern as it were before. In short, it has changed the climatic conditions
That is the reason why the world is calling on countries to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and energy from coal, which after burning releases a lot of carbon into the atmosphere. Instead, countries are encouraged to turn to renewable energy such as solar, wind, hydro and geothermal, while at the same time plant trees that will absorb some of the carbon emitted into the atmosphere.
So far, Kenya has done very well and is still on the right path in terms of investment in green energy with 84% of all electricity installations being green energy.
However, any attempt to continue with the proposed Sh200 Billion coal plant in Lamu could just negate all the good work done so far in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Though proponents of the project say that the coal plant, which will be the first in Kenya and the largest in the region will use the latest climate friendly technology, the bottom-line remains that once coal is burned, it emits carbon, and the gas ends up in the atmosphere.
Many other countries including the developed ones have used coal and are still using coal to generate electricity. However, it is important to understand that most of those countries did not have alternatives when they started using coal, yet they needed electricity to warm their houses especially during winter, when temperatures drop sometimes to a negative figure. But with technology, most of them are shifting to renewable energy.
Kenya can therefore leapfrog this stage because there are many good options, and the international community is keen on helping the country solve its energy needs for industrial and domestic uses.
If you ask Peter Othengo, the focal point for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in Kenya at the Treasury, he will tell you that in the past five years, the World Bank, through the Climate Investment Fund gave Kenya some Sh5 Billion to enhance the geothermal development.
As a result, Kenya is the leading country in Africa in terms of geothermal electricity generation with an output of 534 Mega Watts at the moment. By the year 2022, KenGen expects to generate at least 1,119 Megawatts of electricity from geothermal sources alone, and up to 5,000 megawatts by 2030, a half of the country’s geothermal potential.
If the coal power project goes on, it will inject at least 1,050 Megawatts into the national grid, but with dire consequences of coal pollution, of which most of the raw materials are to be imported.
Coal should therefore never be an option, especially at this time when the international community is willing to support the country to adapt to climate change through financial support and technology transfer.
In 2014 for example, Kenya was one of the seven countries that were funded for the readiness actions, to develop climate related policies. As a result, the National Climate Finance Policy was enacted by parliament on the 22 February 2018, and it is the first in the world.
Through the UNFCCC financing mechanism, Kenya received Sh1.1 Billion, and Sh7.5 Billion more from the European Investment Bank to finance off-grid electricity especially in rural areas.
Indeed, more financiers are keen to help Kenya develop using green energy infrastructure. With all the geothermal sources, mixed with hydro, wind and solar, there can be no reason why anyone should think of coal as an option.
