From Guest Blogger Joshua Okomo: Intergovernmental Governance Fundamental for Green Energy in Africa

Fast trucking the development of clean energy in Africa has been a major challenge for which African states have to render political and governance support, one of the fundamental strategy is intergovernmental organizations and programmes of Africa’s group of nations. There are intergovernmental institutions and programmes for clean energy governance in Africa. The African Union (AU) is the principal organization of African states. It includes 53 African member States.

It was established by the Sirte Declaration on 9 September 1999 as transformative African confederation, formerly the Organization of African Unity, the African Union is a means to accelerate integration of Africa, enabling Africa to play a significant role in the global economy, and to address shared social, economic and political problems. The union of African states for governance of Africa. This is one of the principal organization for development of green energy in Africa, one of the AU’s principal organs, the African Union Commission (AUC), has a Directorate of Infrastructure and Energy. The AU also hosts numerous Specialized Technical Committees, including the Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, Energy, Natural Resources and Environment. Following a series of regional meetings between 1980 and 2001, African ministers of energy met in Algiers, Algeria, on 23-24 April 2001, the African Energy Commission (AFREC) was created. The mandate of AFREC is the development of energy in africa, a key issue is green energy development to achieve the target specified by the United Nations.

Established in 1958, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UN ECA) is one of five regional commissions of United Nations . One of the UN ECA’s key tasks is to ensure improved cooperation and coordination between UN agencies and African organizations for the effective implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). The NEPAD agenda for development of clean energy in Africa is the preponderant. The Forum of Energy Ministers of Africa (FEMA) was inaugurated during a meeting held on 3 August 2005, in Entebbe, Uganda. It was established to provide political commitment, policy direction and advocacy to increase access to, and better use and management of, energy resources for the continent’s sustainable development.

A key agenda of FEMA is clean energy for Africa. One of the UN ECA’s six substantive divisions, the Sustainable Development Division, plays an active role in the energy field, in addition to working in other areas. UN-ENERGY/AFRICA Convening in Nairobi, Kenya, on 8 May 2004, African energy ministers adopted a recommendation to create UN-Energy/Africa (UNEA).The UNEA is a regional collaborative framework that promotes coordination among the UN and other organizations working on energy for Africa’s development. The African Development Bank (AfDB) is Africa’s principal financial development institution. Its main energy activities involve investments in member countries aimed at developing energy supply, enhancing affordable energy access, connecting electric networks, strengthening institutions, and establishing a favorable environment for private sector participation.

The AfDB is currently revising its 1994 Energy Policy. The new version is expected to include mainstreaming sustainable energy and climate change considerations and set minimum targets for lending and grant assistance programmes related to climate change and sustainable energy. Additionally, the Financing Energy Services for Small-Scale Energy Users Africa programme is currently being implemented by the AfDB’s Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Unit. African energy ministers attending the African Ministerial meeting on Sustainable Energy Development, held in Nairobi, Kenya, on 8 May 2004, officially launched the African Renewable Energy Network on Combating Desertification. This Network brings together organizations operating in the fields of renewable energy and desertification to enhance cooperation and harmonize measures designed to promote renewable energy.

At its second meeting, held from 29-30 September 2005, in Dakar, Senegal, the African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology adopted Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action, which outlines five flagship research and development programmes implemented between 2006 and 2010, including one on energy, water and desertification. The Green Wall for the Sahara Initiative was formally launched at the AU Summit on Food Security in Africa, held in Abuja , Nigeria, from 4-7 December 2006. Its objective is to arrest the advance of the Sahara desert southward and improve the livelihoods of the inhabitants of the Sahelo-Saharan zone, and specifically to promote the use of renewable and alternative energy sources in order to reduce direct reliance on biomass for domestic energy consumption.

The African Ministerial Conference on Hydropower and Sustainable Development was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 8-9 March 2006. It adopted a Ministerial Declaration and Action Plan, under which African ministers of water and energy committed to prepare a joint Action Plan to unlock the hydropower potential of Africa in order to promote sustainable development, regional integration, water and energy security, and poverty eradication. The African Ministerial Council on Water, AFREC and FEMA are to implement the Action Plan jointly. The first AU Conference of Ministers Responsible for Electricity, which took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 20-24 March 2006, adopted a Ministerial Declaration and energy potential, particularly in hydropower as a major renewable energy option, and to establish an African Fund for Electricity with an emphasis on rural electrification. Convening in Cairo, Egypt, from 11-15 December 2006, the first AU Conference of Ministers Responsible for Hydrocarbons adopted the Cairo Declaration on African Cooperation and Solidarity and Action Plan.

These instruments were later endorsed by AU Heads of State and Government at the eighth AU Summit. Among other things, the Action Plan calls on the AUC to elaborate policies and strategies for the development of renewable energies, particularly biofuels, as an alternative to hydrocarbons. African ministers and officials convened in Algiers, Algeria, from 9-10 January 2007, within the framework of the high-level African Regional Conference on the contribution of nuclear energy to peace and sustainable development.

The resultant Plan of Action underscores the need for Africa to fully benefit from the advantages of the peaceful use of nuclear energy for its economic and social development. At the January 2007 eighth AU Summit, Heads of State and Government adopted decisions on, inter alia: climate change and development; the implementation of the Green Wall for the Sahara Initiative; and the strengthening of research and development, particularly in renewable energy, forestry and agriculture, to increase the continent’s resilience and adaptation to climate change. A ministerial declaration adopted at the Summit encourages the transfer of relevant climate-friendly technologies within and among developing countries.

The Tokyo International Conference on African Development Ministerial Conference on Energy and Environment for Sustainable Development took place from 22-23 March 2007, in Nairobi, Kenya. The Chair’s Summary of the meeting emphasizes that clean energy development has great potential for the private sector, including for new businesses in off-grid and community energy systems in areas such as biofuels and low-cost, off-grid lighting products. African ministers convening under FEMA met in Maputo, Mozambique, from 28-30 March 2007, adopted the Maputo Declaration on Energy Security and Sustainability in Africa, which identifies the need to: increase access to modern energy services, better utilize Africa’s rich energy resources, increase financial flows to match Africa’s energy investment needs and promote a better mix of energy supply options. The first High-level biofuels Seminar in Africa was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 30 July-1 August 2007.The seminar was jointly organized by the AUC, the Government of Brazil and the UN Industrial Development Organization.

The seminar concluded with the adoption of the Addis Ababa Declaration on Sustainable Biofuels Development in Africa