Cooperation between China and Africa has seen remarkable progress in renewable energy. This is by showing the determination of developing countries to harness the huge potential of clean energy and combat climate change.
Seyni Nafo, Acting Head of the Independent Delivery Unit with the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative, said that Africa had the highest potential for renewable energy, but the least access to it.
Memorandum of Understanding
Recently AREI and China-Africa Renewable Energy Cooperation and Innovation Alliance, signed a Memorandum of Understanding. Both sides will cooperate in renewable energy generation in Africa. Chinese smart grid providers and core renewable energy manufacturers will be providing technological and financial support.
Pilot projects include helping build micro-grids in some African households and villages, in combination with large-scale power construction.
This move is expected to better deploy as well as distribute renewable energy technology in Africa. This is part of China’s technology transfer efforts advocated by the United Nations Development Program.
“The MOU indicates a shared vision to combat climate change as well as promote sustainable development. This is mostly because the hope for renewable energy is to function as a central pillar of China-Africa cooperation on climate issues,” Nafo said.
“Further more, the majority of developing countries now have climate policies. The biggest challenge they face is mobilizing adequate resources to support the implementation of their climate strategies,” Nafo added.
The MOU would deepen China-Africa cooperation in many areas. These are areas like, capacity building, technology domestication to the integration of climate change into national development processes.