COP27: AEEP and IEA Event Examines the Role of Africa’s Mineral Endowment for Accelerating SDG7
The Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) will host an event together with IEA at the Africa Pavilion during COP27 on the topic “Ensuring Africa´s rich, critical minerals endowment crucial to global energy transition is leveraged to promote SDG7 on the continent”.
The event on 15 November at 19:00-20:00 (GMT+2) will underline the link between global and local energy transition in Africa, elucidate Africa´s rich endowment in minerals critical to global energy transition and explore ways in which the income from critical mineral exported globally from Africa can be ring-fenced or used for the pursuance of SDG7 in Africa.
Speakers include:
–Tim Gould, IEA, Head of Division for Energy Supply and Investment Outlooks
–Mike Enskat, GIZ
–Ana Carolina Gonzalez Espinosa, NRGI Senior Director for Programs (AC)
–John Lindberg, ICMM, Policy Lead
–Sebastian Sahla, EITI, Policy Advisor – Energy Transition
–Jerry Ahadjie, AfDB
The session is moderated by Crispen Zana, principal energy advisor at AUDA-NEPAD.
Join the event online.
The African energy transition occurs in a global and local context
Africa is a potential enabler of the energy transition through its natural resources, but locally contributions to the global transition must ensure that energy access is prioritised to achieve SDG7 and all SDGs more broadly.
As clean energy transitions are accelerated the demand for critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements will grow quickly. This requires a significant ramp up in mineral supplies from new and diversified sources.
Simultaneously, the production and processing of these minerals are energy-intensive, leading to significant greenhouse gas emissions, and face significant risks associated with the environmental, social and governance (ESG) impacts of mining projects. This requires consumers and investors to pay attention to sustainably and responsibly produced minerals.
Additionally, income from extraction and export of minerals needs to visibly be ring-fenced or utilised to support SDG7 in Africa. In line with Just Energy Transition goals, SDG7 in Africa should benefit from African minerals exported to support global energy transition. The side event at COP27 will also draw upon lessons from previous resource booms on the continent to arrive at concrete suggestions for the future.
AEEP event on financing SDG7 in Africa at COP27
The AEEP will also host a session on “Financing SDG7 in Africa – on track towards a just energy transition?” on 9 November (8:30 – 9:30 GMT+2) on the main stage of the SDG Pavilion. Read more:
