The African Union – a continental union of 55 member states – launched the African Energy Efficiency Strategy (AfEES) and African Energy Efficiency Alliance (AEEA) at COP29 last week. Aimed at addressing the energy access gap in Africa, both the strategy and alliance are expected to support energy productivity and generation across the continent.
The AfEES comprises a roadmap for implementing energy-efficient practices across various strategic sectors of the African economy. These include the power, agriculture, construction, transportation and clean cooking sectors. On the other hand, the AEEA aims to unite various stakeholders in Africa to tackle energy efficiency challenges. Stakeholders include governments, developmental partners, private businesses, research institutions and more. The alliance serves as a platform for knowledge-sharing, finance and research.
Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union Commission, stated that “We are currently mobilizing stakeholders to implement the AfEES and Action Plan. Through this strategy, we aim to enhance Africa’s energy productivity by 50% by 2050 and 70% by 2063, in alignment with the global target to double energy efficiency by 2030.”