Renewable energy access key for climate adaptation

April 11, 2021 02:30 AM
https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2021/04/11/renewable-energy-access-key-for-climate-adaptation/

Support for climate adaptation in Africa is crucial, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in appealing for greater action to provide renewable energy to hundreds of millions who still lack access to reliable and affordable electricity.

“As the continent that has contributed least to the climate crisis, Africa deserves the strongest possible support and solidarity,” he told an online dialogue for leaders convened by the African Development Bank.

Guterres warned that “adaptation must not be the neglected half of the climate equation.”

Although Africa has abundant and untapped renewable resources, it has received just two percent of global investment in renewable energy over the past decade, he reported.

Old models of development and energy use have failed to provide Africans with universal energy access, he said, meaning hundreds of millions of people still lack reliable and affordable electricity or are cooking with polluting and harmful fuels.

“We can provide universal access to energy in Africa primarily through renewable energy. I call for a comprehensive package of support to meet this objective ahead of COP26,” Guterres said, referring to the UN climate change conference in November.

“It is achievable. It is necessary. It is overdue. And it is smart: Climate action is a $3 trillion investment opportunity in Africa by 2030,” he added.

However, the Secretary-General pointed to “the major finance” gap blocking progress toward this goal. He urged developed countries to deliver on their $100 billion climate commitment made over a decade ago.