The Future of Energy Conference 2023 (#FEC2023) came to a close on 26 October 2023 in Accra, Ghana. Held under the theme: “Abundant Resources, Sustainable Choices and Innovations: Shaping Africa’s Energy Landscape”, it was organised by the Africa Center for Energy Policy (ACEP) in partnership with Oxfam, Publish What You Pay, Ford Foundation, AfDB, Africa initiative.
A number of recommendations were made during the 02 days of work, which are summarised below:
- Increase collaboration between African governments to take advantage of the energy transition, especially in the context of the ZLCKAF,
- Invest massively in developing the energies of the future,
- Assess the future energy value chain to eliminate gaps
- Emphasise the training of African executives and developing sub-regional expertise in the private sector,
- Develop technologies adapted to the energies of the future,
- Channel and secure financing and markets,
- Assess the resources available in terms of transition minerals and focus on diversification,
- Resolve governance problems in the sector,
- Reduce risks and regulate the exploitation, transport, marketing and use of oil and gas,
- Adopt policies to deal more effectively with greenhouse gas emissions,
- Civil society evaluation of government and private sector action,
- And so on.
Speakers at the opening ceremony called for collaboration between experts to enable Africa to forge its own path on the subject. They hoped that concrete action would be taken to reduce energy poverty and go beyond rhetoric about the abundance of resources. The next conference is scheduled for October 2024. The Future of Energy Conference replaces the annual African Oil Governance Summit (AOGS) as the flagship programme of the African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP).
Elie KABORE, Depuis Accra
