A renewables-based energy transition promises to deliver vast socio-economic benefits to countries across Africa, improving energy access, creating jobs and boosting energy security. African countries have an opportunity to leapfrog fossil fuel technologies, favoring more sustainable, climate-friendly power strategies, which are aligned with the Paris Agreement and low-carbon growth. Their abundance of critical minerals and potential for renewables can be leveraged to support both economic development and climate action in the region and abroad. 

Although Africa has a strong starting point for the transformation of the energy sector, with the unparalleled potential for renewables, it is still investing in energy from fossil fuels. However, the prerequisites for the transformation—stable energy systems, reliable regulatory and financial policy frameworks, ambitious policy goals, and appropriate markets—are increasingly available or can be realized. 

The speakers in this session will deliberate on the fields of action and elaborate on the role of the critical themes and how they affect the fields of action.