Page 4 - DMEA Week 46 2022

DMEA COMMENTARY DMEA

(Photo: UNEP)

COP27: Africa lobbies

to retain natural gas

Despite pollution dangers, African states see natural gas as a means of overcoming energy poverty

AFRICAN nations are lobbying to be allowed to from droughts, floods, cyclones, locusts and
use their natural gas reserves to lift up to 600mn army worms.”
WHAT: people out of energy poverty and to connect He also said that Africa was losing $7-15bn
African nations are them to modern electricity supplies. per year due to climate change, which is pro-
lobbying to be allowed While renewables are the key to the future jected to rise to $50bn by 2050. He warned that
to use their natural gas of Africa, natural gas is still needed to balance Africa, which accounts for just 3% of greenhouse
reserves. out energy supplies and to provide the feedstock gas (GHG) emissions, is the least prepared to
needed for industrialisation. cope with its devastating effects. Indeed, he said
WHY: “We must recognise the special nature of that 5mn Africans had been displaced by climate
The continent is home to Africa,” said African Development Bank (AfDB) change.
hundreds of millions of President Akinwumi Adesina at COP27 in He warned that Africa was being short-
people with no reliable
access to modern energy Egypt, Reuters reported. “Africa has the highest changed by climate finance, and that Africa
supplies. level of energy poverty in the world. My inter- received only 3% of total climate finance glob-
est is how Africa uses natural gas as part of its ally, amounting to $18bn per year, against the
WHAT NEXT: energy mix to provide electricity for 600mn peo- $125bn per year it needs.
Africa must work to strike ple today that don’t have access to electricity.”
a balance between in- Adesina said that Africa’s specific need for Pollution threat
vestment in green energy natural gas must form a central plank of any final However, a report from the UN released at
and gas. deal that comes out of COP27. COP27 highlighted that Africa could prevent
He also told the conference: “Africa is suffer- 880,000 deaths per year by taking action on air
ing from devastating effects of climate change, pollution and climate change.

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