Johannesburg: The European Union has announced a new £7 billion pledge to accelerate renewable energy rollout across Africa, marking one of the largest commitments to the continent's clean-power transition ahead of this weekend's G20 Leaders' Summit. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled the pledge during the Global Citizen Scaling Up Renewables in Africa event in Johannesburg on Friday, stating Europe was committed to standing with African nations now and in the future.
According to South African Government News Agency, this EU commitment forms part of a broader global effort championed by Global Citizen to mobilise new investment for clean energy infrastructure across the continent. Von der Leyen announced that, counting all contributions made since November last year, the campaign has reached a total of £15.5 billion.
The EU's new promise will generate almost 27 gigawatts of clean power and provide renewable electricity to 17.5 million households. Global Citizen CEO and co-founder Hugh Evans stated that the scale of the pledges marks a turning point for Africa's energy transition, doubling the continent's current renewable energy capability.
Evans emphasized that the £15.5 billion mobilised represents one-sixth of the total investment needed for Africa to meet its energy and climate targets by 2030. He praised the campaign as a demonstration of extraordinary leadership and urged continued global engagement to help end extreme poverty.
The Scaling Up Renewables in Africa campaign aims to close the continent's energy access gap and expand clean-power infrastructure amid rising global climate commitments. The new pledges are expected to catalyse further public and private investment into solar, wind, and grid-strengthening projects across Africa.