African Union, EU to hold Green Energy Transition talks

On Apr 16, 2021

The Department of Infrastructure and Energy; the European Union and the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the (EU) in collaboration with the Africa Union Commission will be partnering to co-host a High-Level Green Talk on Accelerating the EU-Africa Partnership for Green Energy Transition in Africa and Digital Marketplace for Green Energy Transition.

This virtual meeting is to hold Friday, 16 April 2021 between 14:00- 16:00 hrs (EAT). Registrations are open through the link: https://eu.eventscloud.com/ereg/index.php?eventid=200221334&

Speakers at the event will be;

H.E. Amani Abou-Zeid; African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy; H.E. Augusto Santos Silva, Portugal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs; H.E. Frans Timmermans, European Commission’s Executive Vice-President

The aim of the programme is to discuss the immediate need for economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. This high-level event will explore what is needed for the continent to stimulate the required investments to develop the energy systems fit for inclusive and sustainable development, jobs, gender equity and attainment of universal energy access in line with SDG7 and the climate objectives.

This initiative stems from an understanding that investing in sustainable energy is fundamental for human and economic development, as envisioned in both the AU Agenda 2063 and the EU Green Deal and set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its seventeen Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

While Africa is the continent that contributes the least to greenhouse gas emissions, it is disproportionately impacted by climate change. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, to power, the ambitious call of structural change, and high economic growth envisaged in the ten-year implementation plan of AU Agenda 2063.

Comprehensive reforms will be needed to improve the investment climate and attract financing for building a sustainable energy system in Africa for socio-economic development, sustainable industrialisation and trade. This will be key for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) plan and achievements of the 300 GW targets of the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) by 2030.

Suzan O/African Union Website