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The United Nations Secretary Antonio Guterres has said that Africa’s 1.5% renewable energy installed capacity despite having about 60% of the global energy resources is a disturbing phenomenon that needs to change to put the continent on the path to development through energy transition.
The UN Chief said this on Tuesday when he delivered a landmark speech on climate change and energy, outlining the economic imperative and opportunity for the transition to renewable energy.
The secretary general’s special address, entitled, “A Moment of Opportunity: Supercharging the New Energy Era,” is a follow-up to his “Moment of Truth” speech last year, and will be accompanied by the release of a special technical report prepared by the Secretary- General’s Climate Action Team with the support of UN agencies, funds and programmes .
He noted the transition is not yet fast enough or fair enough adding that the OECD countries and China account for 80 per cent of renewable power capacity installed worldwide, Brazil and India make up nearly 10 per cent while Africa is just 1.5 per cent.
He pointed out that throughout history, energy has shaped the destiny of humankind – from mastering fire, to harnessing steam, to splitting the atom, adding that the world is on the cusp of a new era as fossil fuels are running out of road.
“The sun is rising in a clean energy age. Just follow the money. $2 trillion went into clean energy last year – that’s $800 billion more than fossil fuels, and up almost 70 per cent in 10 years.
“And new data released today from the International Renewable Energy Agency shows that solar – not so long ago four times the cost of fossil fuels – is now 41 per cent cheaper. Offshore wind – 53 per cent.
“And over 90 per cent of new renewables worldwide produced electricity for less than the cheapest new fossil fuel alternative. This is not just a shift in power. It is a shift in possibility.
“Yes, in repairing our relationship with the climate. Already, the carbon emissions saved by solar and wind globally are almost equivalent to what the whole European Union produces in a year,” he said.
He stressed that renewable energy promotes smart economics, decent jobs, public health, advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, delivering clean and affordable energy to everyone, everywhere and ensuring energy and people’s security.
The UN boss emphasised that in 2023 alone, clean energy sectors drove 10 percent of global GDP growth, saying ‘India got up to five per cent, the United States six per cent . He said further that China is a leader in the energy transition with 20 per cent adding that the European Union had nearly 33 per cent.
He said that the clean energy sector jobs now outnumbered fossil fuel jobs – employing almost 35 million people worldwide.
Guterres noted that renewables are here to stay because they are the foundation of energy security and sovereignty, warning that “The greatest threat to energy security today is fossil fuels. They leave economies and people at the mercy of price shocks, supply disruptions, and geopolitical turmoil.”
A panel organised to discuss the future of Africa in the renewable energy sector in Abuja on Tuesday agreed that the continent needs political will to ramp up investment in the sector and create a conducive environment and right policy framework for investment to thrive.
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