AEEP Energy Talks – Empowering Africa: Accelerating Energy Efficiency for Sustainable Development

  

“In the southern region of Africa, just saving 5% to 9% of energy frees enough energy to electrify 50 million African homes” – H. E. Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy

The 14^th AEEP Energy Talks on 08 May 2024 will delve into “Empowering Africa: Accelerating Energy Efficiency for Sustainable Development”. The online event will spotlight the role of energy efficiency to meet Africa’s energy needs, and as an essential component of SDG7 and COP28’s Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency pledge.

Energy efficiency, now termed the “first fuel,” is critical for saving energy and reducing demand, contributing to energy affordability and security, and supporting climate goals. By cutting energy bills and mitigating the effects of price volatility, it reduces energy spendings for households and industries, and spurs economic development. Investing in energy efficiency also helps reduce fuel imports, creates jobs, and reduces strain on energy infrastructure. Finally, by helping to cut down emissions from the energy sector, it contributes to climate change mitigation.

The African Energy Commission (AFREC) is developing the African Energy Efficiency Strategy and Action Plan (AfEES) alongside the European Union. The initiative will accelerate the adoption of energy efficiency paradigms across six key sectors: industry, electricity supply, appliances, and devices (including clean cooking solutions), buildings, transportation, and agriculture. The long-term target is to decouple economic growth from energy consumption and achieve a 50% increase of energy productivity by 2050 and 70% increase by 2063.

Furthermore, the African Energy Efficiency Programme, also developed by AFREC in collaboration with U4E, aims to transform the continent’s energy market towards higher efficiency lighting and appliances. By curbing electricity consumption, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, the programme seeks to accelerate Africa’s transition to efficient electrical products, saving billions for consumers and optimising the productivity of the entire power system.

Similarly, the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive is a key driver of Europe’s energy transition and central to achieving the EU’s climate ambition. The 2021 proposal of the directive was further enhanced as part of the REPowerEU plan, presented by the Commission in May 2022, as a response to the international energy crises arising from the Russian war in Ukraine and an attempt to decrease the EU’s dependency on fossil fuel imports from Russia.

The 14^th AEEP Energy Talks will explore the current energy efficiency landscape of Africa. Additionally, we will hear experiences from Europe on how to implement energy efficiency measures and explore the role of deepened Africa-Europe collaboration for innovative energy efficiency solutions.

About the AEEP Energy Talks

The Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) Energy Talks is a bimonthly webinar series that fosters dynamic dialogue by between key stakeholders and energy players from Africa and Europe. Since its launch in November 2020 the webinars have delved into transformative energy topics at the intersection of the two continents, fostering knowledge sharing and idea exchange among experts and participants. Previous AEEP Energy Talks have covered topics such as: From ACS to COP28: Unlocking Opportunities for a Synergetic Africa-EU Climate and Energy Future, Sunlight Success: Pursuing African Development Priorities Through a Solar Economy, Utilising Renewable Hydrogen for Decarbonising Value Chains and Promoting Development in Africa and the EU, and Achieving SDG7 in Africa – The 2022 AEEP Report: European Financial Flows on SDG7 to Africa. The outcomes of the AEEP Energy Talks inform the AEEP’s knowledge products, including Spotlights or policy briefs, and contribute to the ongoing discourse on sustainable energy development in Africa and Europe.

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