Africa Poised to Lead Clean Energy Transition

Mohamed Adow of Power Shift Africa argues Africa can lead the electrification of the global economy, despite the fact that over 600 million Africans currently lack access to electricity. The continent’s lack of existing fossil fuel infrastructure presents an opportunity to build cleaner energy systems. A campaign launched at London Climate Action Week aims to increase the share of electricity in global final energy consumption to 35% by 2035, up from just over 20% currently.

However, significant investment is needed to overcome financial barriers such as high borrowing costs and perceived risk, hindering the development of renewable power stations and reliable grids. Beyond finance, industrial policy is crucial to ensure Africa captures the economic benefits of electrification by developing its own manufacturing base for batteries and clean technologies.

Several African nations, including Ethiopia, Kenya, and Morocco, are already demonstrating progress in electric mobility and renewable energy. The upcoming COP31 in Türkiye will be a key test of whether the world will support Africa in this transition or risk falling behind on global climate goals.