RES4Africa: 10 years of promoting the sustainable energy transition in Africa

The RES4Africa (Renewable Energy Solutions for Africa) Foundation, which this year celebrates its tenth anniversary, is now a protagonist in the energy transformation of the African continent, promoting access for all to energy resources, in full compliance with the global decarbonization goals. “There is no doubt that green sources are the solution for combining sustainability, technological development and access to energy,” explains Salvatore Bernabei, Head of Enel Green Power and President of RES4Africa. The African continent has an opportunity to move directly to clean energy, avoiding energy development trajectories that rely on highly polluting fossil fuels. The key to making this possible, however, is a process of growth and innovation that uses European know-how to propose solutions that are focused on the urgent needs of the local populations. Ten years of successes for green electrification When it comes to the process of global decarbonization, all eyes are on Africa – not least because the continent’s population is growing rapidly. In fact, energy demand on the continent is expected to increase by 60% by 2040, far more than anywhere else in the world. This highlights the need to overcome a number of social and infrastructural barriers that still prevent hundreds of millions of Africans from having access to electricity and clean water. In the organization’s first ten years of operation, the results have been encouraging both from a social and a technical perspective. RES4Africa has developed from an Italian initiative into an international foundation that involves a large number of stakeholders in the energy sector worldwide. More than 100 issue-specific conferences have been organized and more than 70 reports have been produced to analyze the potential financial benefits. The aim is to boost the attractiveness of the African energy market in the eyes of potential investors in Europe and around the world, ensuring the availability of funds necessary to support the development journey that is already under way. Over these ten years, more than 100 partnerships have been forged with organizations in both the public and private sectors. Future goals: not just technology and innovation The entire world is moving towards decarbonization, which should lead to net zero climate-altering gas emissions by 2050. It is essential that all businesses and initiatives – both local and international – remain focused on this target in order to channel efforts in the right direction. In Africa, the scenario is complex: in order to achieve concrete results, it’s necessary to look towards future outcomes, evaluating the consequences of various actions in the long term and considering, above all, environmental impacts. After all, safeguarding the place you live is an important part of ensuring health and wellbeing. On a continent where fundamental human rights are not always protected, sustainable development must necessarily include socio-economic progress: it must include the capacity to generate income and livelihoods for the local populations. “The common denominator of all these aspects is energy as the key to achieving harmony at the international level as well,” continues Bernabei. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), in order to contain global warming to within 1.5°C , one requirement is substantial growth in the renewable energy labor market, passing from today’s 300,000 jobs to 8 million by 2050. This is, above all, a question of collaboration – and that is where RES4Africa will have a key role to play in the near future: promoting cooperation among various international partners and supporting the creation of an environment that is conducive to investment development. Another barrier to overcome concerns energy infrastructure, the quality of which will have to be improved, reducing waste and building a distribution network capable of responding to the population’s growing need for energy: in short, transferring European technology and know-how to the African continent. Finally, it will be necessary to raise awareness about energy and sustainability issues, in particular in the private sector, clarifying how the transformation of the African continent is a valid opportunity for investment and growth for companies, too. “It’s clear that as we mark our tenth anniversary, we must redouble our efforts,” stated Roberto Vigotti, Secretary General of RES4Africa. “Given these uncertain times and the multi-dimensional challenges that nations are facing, it’s important that Africa’s energy transition – or rather, energy transformation – continues to be a priority. Renewable energy sources and innovative technological solutions are a fundamental part of the solution to these challenges, and RES4frica intends to continue to focus on raising awareness, supporting analysis, developing tools for de-risking to catalyze private sector investments, and organizing training and capacity building, both institutional and technological.” Two keys to promoting the energy transition and economic growth on the African continent are operational capacity and cultural transformation. To launch this process, it is fundamental to ensure infrastructure and investments in the development of green energy technologies. As we take stock after ten years of activity, it’s time to pick up the pace in order to give a greater boost to a change that is in its initial stages. Our goal is clear: to make Africa a major economic power of the future, not merely ensuring its energy self-sufficiency. The process of electrification, supported by Enel Green Power, is also an ethical benchmark, with a business model that focuses on global development and improving the living conditions of as many people as possible.

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RES4Africa: 10 years of promoting the sustainable energy transition in Africa

RES4Africa: 10 years of promoting the sustainable energy transition in Africa

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