Friends of the Earth Africa (FEA) has launched a ‘Just Recovery Renewable Energy Plan for Africa’, which aims at offering a practical opportunity to change the trajectory of energy development and electricity access on the African continent.
The report emphasises the urgency to democratise energy systems, reduce the power of transnational corporations and enable communities in the continent to gain access to sufficient energy to live healthily.
The plan, which was launched today at a webinar with top climate justice voices, demands a total shift from current dirty energy systems to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy in Africa. The plan factors a vision of an annual investment of about $130 billion per year. It lays out clear targets for this vision, with over 300GW of new renewable energy investments by 2030, as agreed by the African Union, and over 2000GW by 2050. It further illustrates that the finance and investment needed to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy goals can be carried out through public finance from the global North, ending tax dodging and dropping the debt.
Providing key insights of the report, Dipti Bhatnagar, the Climate Justice and Energy program coordinator for Friends of the Earth International, stated, “People are facing multiple crises on this continent. We need to stop the climate crisis and bring about a just and feminist energy transition that actually serves the need of people and the planet”.
The Plan also aims to restore electricity to hundreds of millions and create over 7 million jobs to drive a Just Recovery from COVID, address climate change and reduce inequality.