Activists at the just-concluded first Africa Climate Summit have called for commitment towards the tripling of global renewable energy capacity to 11,000 Gigawatt by 2030, the level required to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees celsius.
Climate activists also applauded African leadership for scaling up renewable energy and supported the call for additional financial and technology support by African governments.
They raised concerns over false solutions and the push for fossil gas by Senegal’s Macky Sall and African Development Bank’s Akinwumi Adesina during Monday’s high-level opening, citing the urgency of transition to renewable energy to avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
Charity Migwi, Regional Campaigner, 350Africa.org said: “This is a good starting point, but it falls short of expectations. We need to see African leadership on renewable energy that is backed by urgently needed financial support.
“As Africans grapple with the debilitating impacts of the climate crisis, African leaders engage in rhetoric and false solutions such as fossil gas and carbon markets that seek to delay meaningful climate action and the much-needed just transition away from fossil fuels, that is central to the fight against the climate crisis.
“African nations must walk the talk in regards to limiting global warming by shunning fossil fuels and leveraging the continent’s wealth of renewable energy potential to implement real solutions to climate change and the continent’s energy crisis.
“Additionally, the international community has a role to play in financing the energy transition, there is no more time to waste.”
Source : Vanguard
