AEEP Backs AU’s G20 Moment: Energy Dialogue at the Forefront
The G20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries along with the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU). The grouping represents the world’s largest economies – accounting for around 85% of gross world product (GWP), 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the global population. At this significant global stage, the year 2025 has marked a watershed moment for the African continent’s enhanced representation among the G20 group of countries.
AU’s G20 Moment: Energy Dialogue at the Forefront
Since the AU became a full member of the G20 group in 2023 – and especially during the South African presidency in 2025 – the Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) Secretariat has supported African representation and contributions to the G20 Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG). Given the Energy sector’s vast and multidimensional contributions to the global sustainable development agenda, for more than a decade now, energy has been central to G20 discussions.
Against this backdrop, South Africa’s 2025 G20 presidency presented a unique opportunity to advance the African Union’s Agenda 2063, fostering the continent’s industrial growth, scaling up clean energy investments, and ensuring just and inclusive transitions. Building on lessons from previous G20 presidencies (Indonesia, India, and Brazil), the roadmap for this year’s ETWG meetings focused on advancing energy security, enabling just and inclusive transition, and improving regional energy cooperation.
AEEP’s Contributions
This year, in addition to supporting the AU’s participation in the ETWG meetings, the AEEP Secretariat supported African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) in its role leading the development of a Ten-Year Infrastructure Investment Plan for Cross-Border Interconnectivity (TYIIP) in Africa. The TYIIP draws from the African Continental Master Plan (CMP) to identify priority interconnection projects needed to close critical gaps that hinder cross-border energy trade.
In this regard, between 2nd and 4th July 2025, the AEEP supported a TYIIP drafting workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, bringing together the AU Commission (AUC), AUDA-NEPAD, African Energy Commission (AFREC), and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Power Pools. The workshop facilitated in-depth discussions as well as the structuring and review of different sections of the TYIIP. On the sidelines of the 3rd meeting of the ETWG held in Sun City, South Africa, the AEEP Secretariat facilitated a panel discussion on the TYIIP to raise awareness of its key findings and solicit views from G20 members, project developers, investors, financiers, electricity market operators, and other key stakeholders.
The months of August and September were also crucial, given the AEEP Secretariat’s continued support towards the preparation of the TYIIP, ensuring the integration of stakeholder feedback. For instance, on 25 September 2025, the AEEP organized a special webinar in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to raise awareness about the various aspects of the TYIIP among WEF members, with a special focus on key elements of bankability relevant to the projects featured within the TYIIP.
The AEEP’s consistent support and contributions through its activities have strengthened the robust framework of the TYIIP ahead of the 4th ETWG meeting on 7 – 9 October 2025 as well as the G20 Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting (ETMM) on 10 October 2025 in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
