The Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Global Coalition’s 2023 Africa Conference is being held in Saly, Senegal from 8 to 10 June 2023 on the theme “Towards a collaborative and just energy transition for Africa”.
Why the theme of energy transition?
The climate crisis is posing enormous difficulties for African countries. Floods, rising temperatures, etc. are all the result of climate disruption. Africa remains a vulnerable continent, yet it is the continent that pollutes the least.
Despite this, the discourse on climate action has largely neglected the needs of African countries, where 600 million people still lack adequate access to energy. The world needs to make the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner sources of energy to slow climate change and prevent the worst impacts from materialising. Without questioning the need for this energy transition, the question is the speed at which African countries need to move forward and the extent to which this energy transition can be equitable?
With the right planning, African countries can kick-start a new era of clean development, access to affordable energy and sustainable incomes. This era could also bring new opportunities beyond the energy sector – in education, health, employment and infrastructure – as the benefits of a just transition spread throughout society. However, there are risks to this process. Many countries currently depend on revenues from extractive industries, which are being phased out.
On the other hand, demand for the minerals needed to deploy renewable energy technologies is creating fierce competition in Africa, which could lead to irresponsible extraction of these minerals.
Through this conference, PWYP aims to address this challenge by exploring how it can accelerate sustainable development, energy access and equality in Africa through a just transition to a fairer and cleaner energy future. PWYP aims to strengthen the collective power and capacity of PWYP members and partners in Africa to accelerate accountable, sustainable and equitable governance of transition minerals, and a fair and equitable phase-out of fossil fuel exploitation in Africa. Through this conference, the coalition intends to share experiences, learn and reflect on the implications of the climate crisis and energy transition on current and future leadership. In short, PWYP wants to ensure inclusive, transparent and effective governance of PWYP in Africa.
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