Africa must prioritise cleaner fuels in net zero emissions targets

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According to the African Refiners and Distributors Association, Africa must first focus on cleaner transport and cooking fuels to reduce air pollution and avert public health issues before embarking on global Net Zero Emissions energy transition plans.

ARDA’s Executive Secretary and former Chief Operating Officer, Refining & Petrochemicals at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Anibor Kragha, disclosed this during a virtual IPIECA Roundtable on Energy Transition and Net Zero Emissions, which included the UN Environment Programme and speakers covering views from investors and international organisations, industry initiatives and regional perspectives.

“Challenges Africa faces in light of the global drive towards Net Zero Emissions” which was the Chief Operating Officer’spresentation title insisted that the recent IEA Net Zero Emissions by 2050 proposal remained a pathway that is global in nature, but Africa’s unique path needs to reflect strategies about the continent’s stage of economic development.

According to Kragha, the continent as a whole must focus its limited public funding on cleaner transport and cooking fuels and the associated distribution infrastructure in the near-term.

Kragha also urged African governments to prioritize policies to address public health and environmental issues and to utilize the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) to address intra-African trade challenges and complexities and inefficient supply chains that may impede implementation of cost-effective cleaner energy solutions in future via a harmonised African Energy Transition Plan.

The ARDA Executive Secretary said that Africa’s energy transition roadmap needs to include separate implementation strategies for cleaner transport and cooking fuels, lower-carbon power generation and eventually sustainable renewable energy solutions. In addition, a measured, decade-by-decade sustainable finance plan from 2020 to 2050 would be required to ensure investments are made to deliver a unique African Energy Transition Plan. Read more here https://bit.ly/3BTc0dE

The proposal was applauded by many given the inclusion of development status of majority of African countries and the renewables industry in particular, has the potential to play a crucial role in the meeting of future sustainablity goals.

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