By Mary Mwendwa
Nairobi, Kenya: A coalition has called for a just energy transition that is people-centered and protects the environment during the COP27 Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. According to the coalition, ACCESS Coalition, the move will ensure clean energy access for all, especially in Africa. It includes advocating for increased investment in renewable technologies, regulations, and systems that incorporate the welfare of communities.
Kenya and other African countries continue to suffer severe effects of climate change especially severe droughts and floods, yet the continent accounts for less than 4 percent of the world’s energy-related CO2 emissions and has the lowest emissions per capita globally.
Currently, about 43 percent of Africa’s population doesn’t have access to electricity, and about 900 million don’t have access to clean cooking fuels and technologies (Africa Energy Outlook 2022).
Energy access is essential in achieving the sustainable development goals and economic growth of any society. It is key in accelerating Africa’s manufacturing and industrialization sectors, creating employment, and boosting intra-African trade due to increased interconnectivity.
It is for this reason that ACCESS Coalition welcomes the launch of the Africa Just and Affordable Energy Transition Initiative (AJAETI) by the COP 27 Presidency. The initiative aims to secure access to affordable energy and transition 300 million people to clean cooking fuels and technologies, and increase the share of renewable electricity generation by 25 percent in Africa, by 2027.
John Kioli, the chairman of ACCESS Coalition echoed the words of UN Secretary-General António Guterres that, we must leave the conference with the creation of a Fund on Loss and Damage. “We must concretize it with additional and ambitious funding. Petroleum companies must be able to share their huge profits towards climate change action. This COP27 must amplify the work of Glasgow Cop26 and roll out implementation. The time is now. The language should be should now be facing out fossil fuel,” Kioli said.
ACCESS Coalition’s priorities for COP 27 conference were anchored in the organization’s commitments to the UN Energy Compact, a global roadmap for Accelerated SDG7 Action by different players who are working to deliver energy access and efficiency, clean cooking, a just energy transition, finance, and investment.
ACCESS showcased the progress of these commitments during a side event at the SDG7 pavilion during the COP 27 conference. ACCESS committed by 2030, to support 10 energy-deficit countries to use inclusive, integrated planning approaches that are supported by better data on energy needs, to deliver financially, socially, and environmentally sustainable energy services that leave no one behind.
In addition, ACCESS committed by 2030 to successfully advocate for three Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to commit at least 50 percent of their energy portfolio to decentralized renewable energy and ensure the participation of communities and civil societies in decision-making and implementation of their projects so as to enhance productive uses of energy.
The third target was, by 2025 to facilitate capacity building and knowledge exchange on energy access and share best practices among civil society organizations across 20 energy access-deficit countries.
