The 4th AEEP Forum convened key stakeholders to foster bicontinental collaboration for financing SDG7 in Africa

The 4th Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) Forum, held in Cape Town, South Africa, on March 6, 2025, successfully brought together energy leaders, policymakers, and key private sector stakeholders to accelerate sustainable energy solutions for Africa. This pivotal gathering, under the theme “Accelerating Joint Action for Financing SDG7 in Africa,” underscored the urgent need for innovative financing, increased private sector engagement, and stronger collaboration between Africa and Europe to achieve universal energy access. Indeed, as highlighted by AEEP’s latest report on European Financial Flows on SDG7 to Africa, while important contributions have been made towards SDG7 in Africa, significant funding gaps remain, particularly in areas such as electricity access, clean cooking and energy efficiency.

The AEEP Forum was held in conjunction with the Africa Energy Indaba 2025 and served as a critical platform for reaffirming the shared commitment of both Africa and Europe to build a clean, resilient, and inclusive energy future. High-level speakers from key organisations such as the African Union Commission (AUC), the European Union (EU), African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) Southern African Development Community Development Finance Resource Centre, (SADC DFC) and influential private sector players came together to discuss how to bridge Africa’s energy investment gap and accelerate the transition to renewable energy across the continent.

One of the standout sessions of the AEEP Forum was centred on unlocking private sector investments for SDG7 and the energy transition in Africa. Participants emphasized the importance of reducing the cost of capital and developing tailored de-risking and financing mechanisms such as guarantees or local currency financing to attract more private investors in renewable energy and access projects. Experts also discussed the importance of proper enabling regulatory frameworks and the critical role of project preparation to accelerate the deployment of clean energy solutions across Africa. The critical role of bicontinental partnership was highlighted, particularly how Europe, through the Africa-EU Green Initiative and instruments for mobilising private sector investments, contributes to advancing Africa’s energy goals in alignment with Agenda 2063.   

In his opening remarks, Gianluca Azzoni, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to the African Union, reaffirmed Europe’s commitment to Africa and the universal access to sustainable energy.

The new European Commission will take Global Gateway to the next level, moving from start up to scale up and mobilization of private investment will be a critical part. The Africa-Europe investment package under Global Gateway is aligned with priorities from AU’s Agenda 2063. Well-coordinated efforts and synergies towards shared objectives are required to achieve SDG7, highlighted Mr Azzoni.

In her intervention, Sara Elhag, Head of Energy Division at the African Union Commission, underscored the importance of collaboration between African initiatives and partners, and the challenges to close the financial gap.

One of the main challenges for Africa to access finance is having the proper enabling environments in place, with clear policies and regulatory frameworks to give confidence to the investors. We also need to have feasible projects, said Ms Elhag.

The forum dedicated significant attention to addressing clean cooking, a critical area for sustainable energy access. Over 900 million Africans still lack access to clean cooking technologies, which has profound impacts on health, the environment, gender equality and economic development. A side event co-hosted by AEEP, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) explored how a holistic approach, integrating clean cooking with broader economic development, gender, environment and climate goals can create ripple effects and maximise outcomes. The session also discussed enabling factors for accelerating access to clean cooking, such as innovative financing mechanisms and enabling frameworks supporting the development of an ecosystem of clean cooking companies, and the critical role of multi-stakeholder partnerships.

The Africa-EU Energy Partnership remains committed to advancing the shared vision of sustainable, inclusive, and equitable energy access. With a continued focus on scaling up renewable energy investments, aligning priorities across both regions, and encouraging private sector participation.

Moving forward, the Africa-EU Energy Partnership will continue to leverage its unique position to foster bicontinental collaboration and catalyse resources for ensuring that the ambitious goals set forth are realized.