An urgent call from African civil society to ensure the African Union does not support expanding fossil fuel extraction ahead of COP27
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
An African Union committee has proposed an African Common Position on Energy Access and Transition for adoption at COP27.
Sounds great. But there are major issues with the current draft that require an urgent response. If adopted, Africa would risk presenting a common position to COP27 that barely mentions renewable energy or decentralised energy access, but instead represents the interests of the fossil fuel industry by explicitly stating gas, oil and coal ”will continue to play a crucial role” in the continent’s energy mix.
This comes at a time when wealthy European countries are pivoting from the fossil fuels driving Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine to scramble for access to Africa’s energy resources.
Read on to find out what the issue is, why it poses a major threat to COP27 and the future of energy access and development in Africa, as well as how you can help African civil society groups incluence the stance of the African Union in the coming weeks.
Key problems with the draft
African Common Position on Energy Access and Transition
Makes no substantive proposal for scaling renewable energy production as part of an energy transition
Makes no substantive proposal to target decentralised energy to 600 million people in Africa that currently lack access.
Calls for expanding coal, oil & gas extraction, positioning fossil fuels as playing “crucial roles” in the future despite the threat they pose to development, health, biodiversity and our climate.
Similar to recent pushes in the EU, the position attempts to frame gas as clean energy, despite the proven harmful impacts of fossil gas on our climate, health and air quality.
The African Union technical paper fails to cite analysis or evidence for many of these key recommendations.
If adopted by all African countries the current position risks locking fossil fuels into Africa’s long-term energy mix.
This would have drastic consequences for Africa’s future prosperity, locking in massive stranded asset risk and damaging development prospects.
It would limit expanding energy access for Africans, instead prioritising exports to Europe and the Global North.
Lastly it would also damage the credibility of COP27 and the viability of global climate goals as set out in the Paris Agreement.
Can you join African civil society leaders in calling on governments to push the African Union to reject this position ahead of COP27? Read and sign our open letter to African governments.
Take action
For more information, download this detailed memo from African civil society groups which was recently sent to the African Union.
Authors include Africa Coal Network, Climate Action Network Africa, Climate Action Network Arab World, Environmental Rights Action, Friends of the Earth Africa, groundWork, JA! Justiça Ambiental, Power Shift Africa, South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, #StopEACOP Coalition, 350Africa.org