77 Lighting up and powering Africa Lighting Up and Powering Africa comprises a full range of elements, including cooking. Clean cooking helps mitigate GHG emissions with the cobenefit of improving people’s quality of life by reducing indoor pollution. The percentage of population across Africa with access to clean cooking fuels and technologies for cooking varies over the period 2015–2019. Based on current trends, it appears not to be on track for the CCAP2 target of 60% in 2020 nor the Bank-wide target of 97% in 2025. Across Africa, there are wide regional variations in the percentage of population with access to clean cooking fuels and technologies, with North Africa having over 90% access while East Africa, West Africa, and Central Africa have less than 10% access. Electricity is another important part of modern life, including electricity for lighting, communication, as well as more energy intensive applications such as refrigeration, air conditioning and heating, or the running of machines and industrial processes. Given that energy infrastructure is long lasting, installation of new electricity generation capacity either locks in, or locks out, GHG emissions. Hence the installation of renewable energy capacity across Africa is an important part of mitigation and low-carbon development. As noted in chapter 3, the installation of high carbon electricity generation technologies (e.g. coal, oil, or gas power plants) is a transition risk with the danger of becoming stranded assets. Fortunately, the installation of renewable energy electricity generation capacity is increasing but has failed to meet the Bank’s targets even with renewable energy becoming ever cheaper to install. The Bank is directly supporting the installation of new renewable electricity generation capacity. While these new installations are only a fraction of renewable energy capacity installed, they help bring renewable energy to new areas and help RMCs get experience installing and managing renewable energy technologies. However, the Bank’s contribution to renewable energy capacity is notably short of target. Energy efficiency is another important area where GHG emissions can be mitigated. This includes energy efficiency at the household level, in industrial activities, agriculture, as well as when it comes to the transmission and distribution of electricity. Hence the installation of new or improved transmission lines and distribution lines are important. The Bank has contributed to the installation of hundreds of kilometres of lines, but the Bank has not yet met its targets for both transmission lines and distribution lines. Likewise, when it comes to electricity losses through transmission, distribution, and collection, Africa is far below the Bank’s targets with inefficient losses. The Bank has fallen well short of its own targets for emissions reductions in energy. As can be seen from the data above there are many considerations when it comes to electrifying and lighting up Africa. Reflecting this is the design of the Electricity and Green Growth Support Program (EGGSP) in Egypt. Integrating Africa A lot of energy is used in transport, much of which is currently reliant on refined petroleum products, diesel, or gasoline. While there are some electric rail systems, electrification of road transport is yet to take off across Africa. As such, roads constructed, rehabilitated, or maintained can induce road demand and transport-related GHG emissions. However, as noted earlier in the Chapter, Africa has low per capita GHG emissions. Furthermore, transport is essential to support the movement of goods, services, and people; and as such is a very important part of development and access to public health and trade. Hence, while the Bank has missed its roads targets, the extent to which roads can be coupled with low carbon transport options will be an important strategic consideration for the Bank going forward. Climate finance Introduction The Paris Agreement has the aim of “making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low GHG emissions and climate-resilient development” (Article 2.1.c). This is not just climate finance, but all financial flows. The activities, technologies, and practices supported by the Bank and other financial institutions will have bearing on whether low-carbon development is achieved especially when it comes to industrialization, food and agriculture, infrastructure, integration, as well as lighting up and powering Africa. As such, mobilizing financial resources to finance climate action constitutes Pillar 3 of CCAP2. From CCAP2, highlighting the Bank’s approach towards implementing and fulfilling Pillar 3 on climate finance, there is focus on mobilising finance to address climate change, including innovations such as mobilising more private finance, to support climate change ambitions. The extent to which climate finance is able to meet climate ambitions is important, and indicators used to evaluate climate finance reflect Green growth in Africa — current initiatives and future developments
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