The Covid-19 pandemic dismantled the steady progress that had been made in recent years to increase access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy. In sub-Saharan Africa, the pandemic has put almost seven years of progress into reverse, with the number of those lacking electricity rising to more than 590 million people this year, a rise of 13 million people.
At the same time, Africa’s energy demand to 2040 is set to grow twice as fast as the global average, supporting Africa’s economic transformation. This rapid increase in demand will present new challenges: raising adequate investment; managing growing import dependence; and mitigating the environmental impact of energy production and use.
These challenges and the opportunities available to address them will be at the heart of the second edition of our AUC-IEA Ministerial Forum on Powering Africa’s Energy Future, which is co-hosted by Dr Amani Abou-Zeid, the African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Mr Samson Gwede Mantashe, South Africa’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, and Dr Fatih Birol, the IEA Executive Director.
Ministers from across the Continent, including from Egypt, Ethiopia, and Algeria, will discuss implementation priority actions to ensure Africa’s energy sector is best positioned to contribute effectively to driving economic growth and transformation in the wake of Covid-19.
Watch the event live on the IEA website starting 24 November at 13:00 CET (with streams in English, French).
IEA Speaker Series with Jean-Bernard Lévy, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, EDF
Join us this week on Wednesday 25 November for our latest Big Ideas live event with Jean-Bernard Lévy, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of EDF. Mr Lévy will discuss the role of low-carbon electricity to reach Paris Agreement climate goals. The event hosted by Dr Birol will be livestreamed on our website and social media channels.
All previous events from our high-level speaker series are available to watch back online, including recent episodes with Mr Frans Timmermans, the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, or Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources Mr Seamus O’Regan.