Africa Climate Negotiation: AGN Chair demands delivery over promises ahead of COP31

The Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, has issued a strong call for global climate talks to move from pledges to tangible action, declaring that COP31 in Antalya must be defined by delivery rather than another cycle of unfulfilled promises.

 

Speaking at the African Group of Negotiators Expert Support (AGNES) Pre-COP31 Strategy Meeting in Nairobi, Dr. Amoah stressed that the global climate process faces a critical test of legitimacy.

 

He warned that the credibility of international negotiations now hinges on a singular question: whether the system can actually deliver implementation on the ground.

 

Highlighting Africa's core priorities across adaptation, agriculture, loss and damage, climate finance, and just transition, the AGN Chair emphasized that the continent's demands are fundamental conditions for sustainable development.

 

"When Africa speaks about adaptation, agriculture, finance, loss and damage, just transition and means of implementation, we are not presenting a list of negotiating preferences," Dr. Amoah asserted. "We are rather talking about the conditions under which our countries can develop, protect their people and build resilient economies in a changing climate."

 

Addressing the financial architecture, Dr. Amoah called for predictable, scalable, grant-based climate finance for adaptation, rejecting any framing of climate support as international charity.

 

"Africa is not asking for charity," he declared. "We are asking for an international financial architecture capable of responding fairly to a global problem for which responsibility and vulnerability are profoundly unequal."

 

He further insisted that the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage must be adequately resourced, responsive, and direct support where it is needed most. "Success cannot be measured by the existence of institutions alone," Dr. Amoah added. "It must ultimately be measured by whether support reaches countries and communities confronting losses they did little to cause."

 

On energy policy and industrial strategy, Dr. Amoah warned against uniform transition frameworks that ignore regional economic realities. He stressed that a just transition for Africa must prioritize energy access, clean cooking, poverty eradication, and green industrialization.

 

"Africa cannot simply export raw materials required for the global transition while importing finished technologies at significantly higher value," Dr. Amoah stated. "The transition must create value in Africa, build industries in Africa, strengthen skills in Africa, and create jobs for Africans. That is part of climate justice too."

 

He also cautioned negotiators to scrutinize emerging global trade policies, insisting that climate measures must not become a new basis for economic protectionism or inequitable economic relationships.

 

Dr. Amoah outlined a strategic continuum connecting major climate milestones—which he framed as "B2A2A" (Belém to Antalya to Addis Ababa). Under this roadmap, outcomes secured at COP31 in Antalya must establish a firm technical and political foundation for COP32, scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2027.

 

He stressed that strong political positioning requires rigorous African technical evidence, praising AGNES for bridging the gap between scientific research and diplomatic negotiations.

 

"At COP31, Africa must not simply be present at the table," Dr. Amoah concluded. "Africa must help shape what comes out of the room."

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh 

AGN Chair urges action-driven tracking and reporting on inclusive climate adaptation in Ghana’s agriculture

Climate experts, government officials, and agricultural stakeholders have gathered in Accra for a three-day stakeholder engagement workshop focused on strengthening inclusive climate adaptation tracking and reporting within Ghana's agriculture sector.

 

Organized by the Alliance of Biodiversity International and CIAT, the African Group of Negotiators Expert Support (AGNES), and the University of Cape Town, in collaboration with Ghana's Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), the event aims to build capacity and align national reporting mechanisms with global standards.

 

The initiative comes as changing weather patterns, droughts, and rising temperatures continue to pose severe threats to Ghana's rainfed, smallholder-dominated agriculture sector.

 

Delivering the keynote remarks, Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, emphasized that monitoring adaptation efforts must move beyond procedural paperwork to deliver concrete benefits for vulnerable communities.

 

"This is not only about reporting. It is about ensuring that our adaptation efforts are reaching the people who need them most and delivering results we can see, measure and build upon," Dr. Amoah stated.

 

He highlighted that as Ghana scales up resilience initiatives—such as promoting climate-resilient crops, early warning systems, and expanding irrigation—governments must evaluate the actual difference these projects make in farmers' lives.

 

"As governments, therefore, it is no longer sufficient to demonstrate that adaptation activities are being implemented," Dr. Amoah noted. "We must also be able to show whether those interventions are reducing vulnerability, strengthening resilience and reaching the people and communities that need them most". He added that "as we scale up adaptation action, our focus must increasingly shift from what we are doing to the difference those interventions are making".

 

Embedding Social Equity in Climate Data

 

A central theme of the workshop is integrating Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) considerations directly into national reporting templates to reflect the experiences of women, youth, and persons with disabilities. Warning against surface-level metrics, Dr. Amoah cautioned that traditional tracking risks overlooking marginalized groups.

 

"If our monitoring systems do not capture these differences, our reports may show progress while important groups remain behind," he stressed.

 

Reflecting on broader Pan-African priorities and international developments—such as the Belém Adaptation Indicators (BAI) adopted at COP30—the AGN Chair advocated for connecting global decision-making directly to local agricultural realities.

 

"The negotiating room and the farmer's field cannot exist as two separate worlds," Dr. Amoah asserted.

 

He pointed out that "good reporting begins long before the report is written," requiring clear institutional roles, established baselines, and structured data flows from district levels to national bodies.

 

As Ghana prepares its Second Biennial Transparency Report (BTR2) under the UNFCCC Enhanced Transparency Framework following its BTR1 submission in December 2024, the workshop serves as a technical foundation to map data producers, validators, and key indicators across subsectors.

 

Concluding his address, Dr. Amoah encouraged participants to look beyond meeting international reporting cycles to build a permanent, evidence-backed information system that drives climate finance and national policy.

 

"If we get this right, we will strengthen not only our reporting, but also the link between evidence, policy, finance and real action on the ground," he concluded.

 

by Kofi Adu Domfeh 

 

AGN Chair outlines Africa’s strategic climate roadmap at CAHOSCC meeting ahead of COP31

In a major presentation to the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), the Chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, outlined Africa’s strategic priorities for upcoming climate negotiations, key outcomes from COP30 and recent Bonn climate sessions (SBs64), and a unified multi-year roadmap spanning COP31 through COP33.

 

Dr. Amoah warned that global climate action is facing unprecedented political and environmental pressures. Rising nationalism, conservatism, and climate denial are increasingly weakening multilateral cooperation. At the same time, geopolitical tensions and the global energy crisis have renewed international reliance on fossil fuels, slowing the transition to clean energy.

 

Across Africa, extreme weather driven by Super El Niño conditions is intensifying droughts, floods, food insecurity, displacement, and energy shortages. Africa continues to bear disproportionate human, economic, and non-economic impacts from climate-related loss and damage.

 

Despite these mounting crises, the AGN Chair noted global commitments to the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement are weakening. Current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) leave the world on an estimated warming trajectory of 2.7°C.

 

Furthermore, international climate finance is contracting when developing countries require it most: the Global Environment Facility (GEF) replenishment dropped by approximately 38% compared to previous cycles, and a 50% reduction in pledges from a developed country to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) created a major financing shortfall.

 

Unpacking COP30 Outcomes and Bonn Progress

 

Reviewing progress from COP30 and the SBs64 negotiations in Bonn, Dr. Amoah highlighted key thematic areas shaping Africa’s bargaining positions:

 

Just Transitions Mechanism: Building on COP30's agreement to set up a mechanism for international cooperation, technical assistance, capacity-building, and knowledge-sharing, the AGN is prioritizing its operationalisation. The goal is to establish clear governance, modalities, and work programmes heading toward an operational launch at COP32, while safeguarding national development space and nationally determined transitions.

 

Climate Change and Trade: Following the launch of the COP30 trade dialogue, Africa aims to address unilateral climate measures and protect its industrialisation, trade opportunities, and economic development from arbitrary discrimination or disguised trade restrictions.

 

Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA): While COP30 adopted the Belém Adaptation Indicators, negotiations on the GGA stalled during SBs64 in Bonn. The AGN is pushing to develop methodologies and guidance that keep adaptation visible as a vital priority and inform collective progress.

 

Climate Finance: The AGN is leveraging the two-year work programme established at COP30 to enforce developed countries' financial obligations under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement. The group is demanding concrete steps to improve access to predictable public finance, advancing the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) and adaptation commitments to secure a major climate-finance outcome at COP32.

 

Adaptation Fund and Second Global Stocktake (GST-2): Priorities include resolving outstanding issues in the Adaptation Fund’s transition to serve the Paris Agreement—protecting its direct-access model—and ensuring an inclusive, Party-driven launch for GST-2 with balanced coverage across mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, and means of implementation.

 

Strategic Continuity: A Three-Year Horizon from COP31 to COP33

 

Looking ahead, Dr. Amoah stressed the necessity of treating COP31, COP32, and COP33 as a single, connected political cycle. COP31 will focus on securing progress across the wider UNFCCC agenda—including adaptation, finance, just transitions, loss and damage, transparency, and mitigation—while launching GST-2.

 

The strategy includes dedicated support for Ethiopia’s COP31 Presidency to translate negotiation outcomes into concrete implementation, strengthen African priorities, and build political convergence for formal decisions at COP32.

 

By establishing COP31 as a foundation and COP32 as a milestone for consolidation, the AGN aims to maintain a coherent strategy through COP33. This multi-year framework is designed to strengthen Africa’s agency in multilateral climate negotiations and align global climate action directly with the continent's imperatives for sustainable development, energy access, adaptation, industrialisation, and economic transformation.

By Kofi Adu Domfeh  

CCDA-14: AGN Chair outlines four-pillar strategy for genuine African climate agency

The 14^th Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-14) opened at the United Nations Conference Centre, signaling a decisive continental transition from negotiating targets to delivering real-world implementation.

 

Convened by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the African Union Commission (AUC), the high-level summit will produce strategic frameworks to shape Africa's position ahead of COP31 in Antalya and lay the vital groundwork for an African-led COP32 in 2027.

 

Addressing the delegates at the opening ceremony, ECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete delivered a direct warning against defining Africa's climate story purely by its vulnerability.

 

Although Africa contributes less than 4 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, it continues to face disproportionate climate-induced disasters. Gatete acknowledged that while the continent has set ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans, actual implementation continues to lag behind.

 

"We must not allow it to limit Africa's climate story to one of victimhood," Gatete declared. He pointed to finance as the primary obstacle, noting that Africa requires $277 billion annually to implement its NDCs through 2030, yet current global flows cover a mere 11 percent of this need.

 

Gatete argued that international finance must prioritize grants and concessional resources over debt-adding instruments, while leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to transform the continent’s mineral and renewable wealth into green jobs.

 

AUC Commissioner, Moses Vilakati put the challenge to the conference even more bluntly: the defining question for CCDA-14 is not what Africa expects from others, but "what Africa is prepared to propose".

 

Civil society representatives strongly aligned with this sentiment, with PACJA Executive Director Mithika Mwenda asserting that CCDA-14 cannot be "another talk shop" and must move previous commitments "from declaration to delivery".

In a pivotal presentation addressing the core meaning of African climate leadership, Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, Chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), outlined the pathway to true climate governance.

 

He argued that African climate agency is achieved when the continent moves away from a reactive posture, constantly responding to proposals drafted by external parties, and instead actively shapes the global agenda with technically grounded, credible, and unified African solutions.

 

The AGN is uniquely tasked with translating 54 diverse national interests into cohesive, unified common positions. To achieve this, the group coordinates across a rigorous three-tiered system, feeding technical inputs upward to the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) and receiving strategic political guidance from the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC).

 

To operationalize this proactive leadership, Dr. Amoah detailed the AGN’s structured framework for advancing continental agency across four essential pillars:

 

Narrative and Agenda-Setting Agency: Reframing global climate governance by linking climate action directly to equity and access to sustainable development, in compliance with the Paris Agreement.

 

Institutional Influence: Shaping the governance and policies of the UNFCCC Financial Mechanism—including the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Loss and Damage Fund—while driving COP decisions to reform Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and championing the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA).

 

Normative and Legal Influence: Advancing the operationalization of equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) through equitable, just transition pathways.

 

Accountability and Implementation: Demanding that international parties fulfill their legal obligations under both the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.

 

For the long term, Dr. Amoah introduced the development of an African Common Platform. This platform is designed to protect developing nations' legitimate rights to sustainable development and poverty eradication.

Crucially, the platform rejects any trade-offs between climate action and development, asserting that Africa must secure the necessary "policy space" for industrialization and green value chains. This requires coordinating across broader international economic, trade, and financial systems to support local content and integrate African markets into global technology supply chains.

 

In the near term, the strategic roadmap runs directly to COP31 in Antalya and culminates in Ethiopia’s hosting of COP32 in 2027.

 

The AGN plans to use COP32 as a unified front to advance equity, close the massive adaptation finance gap, and table mature regional initiatives backed by clear financing and delivery plans.

 

As CCDA-14 continues through September 9, delegates are working to finalize a COP31 strategic framework and a unified African Common Position.

 

For the AGN, success means protecting the policy space for sustainable development, ensuring predictable finance, and securing a just and prosperous future for the entire continent.

 

AGN Chair demands urgent climate adaptation and food systems integration on road to COP32

As Africa prepares for two critical years of global climate diplomacy, the Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, has issued a powerful call to align international climate negotiations with the daily realities of African communities.

 

Speaking in Addis Ababa at a continental convening of civil society organizations, Dr. Amoah urged African leaders and global partners to integrate agriculture and food systems into the core of climate policy, declaring that the continent must reject a "false choice" between feeding its people and protecting the planet.

 

"Africa must reject a false choice between food security and climate action," Dr. Amoah told an audience of farmers, pastoralists, policymakers, and civil society representatives. "We need both. Our task is to build food systems that are productive, resilient, inclusive and increasingly low-emission, while protecting development and avoiding unfair burdens on small producers."

 

The convening arrives at a pivotal moment, with the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, just over two months away, followed by the hosting of COP32 in Addis Ababa in late 2027.

 

Dr. Amoah emphasized that hosting the global summit on African soil is not enough to guarantee a favorable outcome for the continent's population.

"A COP held in Africa does not automatically deliver for Africa," Dr. Amoah warned. "It must be shaped by African priorities, evidence and solutions, and it must improve lives beyond the conference halls. Food systems are one of the clearest places where climate policy meets daily life."

 

According to the AGN Chair, the transition from COP30 in Belém to COP32 in Addis Ababa represents a vital shift from "rules and promises to delivery on the ground." He highlighted four critical "gaps" currently undermining global climate policy: the gaps between climate ambition and real-world implementation; between adaptation needs and available funding; between promised finance and direct access; and between global rules and the daily struggles of frontline communities.

 

Climate Adaptation: A Non-Negotiable Priority

 

For Africa, Dr. Amoah stressed, adapting to climate shocks is a matter of immediate survival and must remain the continent's "central, non-negotiable priority." While global mitigation efforts determine the future severity of the climate crisis, adaptation determines whether African families and economies can survive the crises already happening.

 

To illustrate these high stakes, Dr. Amoah grounded his speech in the practical experiences of ordinary Africans. He pointed to Ghana, where unpredictable rainfall patterns leave farmers unable to trust traditional seasons, resulting in lost seeds, wasted investments, and heavy debt.

 

"For that farmer, adaptation is not an abstract policy category," Dr. Amoah observed. "It is reliable climate information, the right seed, access to water, extension support and finance at the right time. That is what our negotiations must ultimately deliver."

 

He also spoke of the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, where drying water points force pastoralists to travel further for grazing land, turning climate challenges into localized resource competition and community tensions.

 

He further highlighted that climate shocks on farms quickly ripple into urban areas, impacting market women who face spoiled produce due to extreme heat and rising supply costs.

 

"A climate shock on a farm can therefore become a nutrition and cost-of-living problem in a city," Dr. Amoah explained. "That is why food systems must not sit at the margins of climate negotiations. They are where climate change enters the household."

 

Addressing the Massive Climate Finance Gap

 

At the heart of Africa’s climate vulnerability is a staggering deficit in adaptation funding. Dr. Amoah noted that developing nations are projected to require between USD 310 billion and USD 365 billion annually for adaptation by 2035. In stark contrast, international public adaptation finance from developed to developing countries stood at just USD 26 billion in 2023.

 

The AGN Chair criticized not only the size of the finance gap but also the excessive bureaucracy that prevents existing funds from reaching local actors, such as smallholders, youth enterprises, and women's cooperatives.

 

He shared the example of coastal fishers who need early-warning systems and better cold storage but are shut out by overly complex funding applications.

 

"We cannot call finance accessible if the people who need it most cannot reach it," Dr. Amoah asserted, calling for shorter, simpler, and less costly funding pipelines from global funds to local villages.

 

Seven Priorities for COP31 and the Vision for COP32

 

Looking ahead, Dr. Amoah outlined seven immediate priorities for the African continent at COP31 in Antalya to lay the groundwork for COP32:

 

1.   Protect balance by ensuring adaptation receives the same political attention as emissions mitigation.

2.   Turn the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) into funded action, keeping food security, water, and livelihoods highly visible.

3.   Secure a meaningful outcome on agriculture through the Sharm el-Sheikh joint work program.

4.   Deliver climate finance at scale, turning the target of USD 300 billion annually in public finance by 2035 into credible delivery.

5.   Ensure a 'just transition' that protects small producers, local value addition, and agricultural development space.

6.   Strengthen action on loss and damage with an easily accessible, well-resourced response fund.

7.   Defend fair cooperation and secure robust, meaningful participation for civil society, women, and Indigenous groups.

 

For COP32 in Addis Ababa, Dr. Amoah's vision includes a concrete "adaptation delivery package," direct finance access for local actors, and a transparent accountability system to track promises and public reporting. "The journey from COP30 to COP32 must be a journey from measurement to means, and from commitments to visible results," he stated.

 

Dr. Amoah closed by challenging African civil society organizations (CSOs) to unite and produce a clear roadmap with precise policy demands, an "African evidence package" of community case studies, and a strong plan for public accountability.

 

He emphasized that the AGN is strongest when backed by coordinated, evidence-based CSOs.

 

He reminded negotiators and advocates of the human lives behind the policy jargon: "When we sit in climate negotiations, we speak a language of NDCs, NAPs, adaptation indicators, finance mechanisms and COP decisions. These things matter. But I often remind myself of something very simple: the farmer waiting for rain does not experience climate change as an acronym. The woman who loses her produce because a road has been washed away does not call it an implementation gap. The pastoralist searching for water does not call it the Global Goal on Adaptation. And the family facing higher food prices does not call it a food-systems negotiation. They simply experience the consequences. Our responsibility is to make sure that what happens in the negotiating rooms eventually changes what happens on the farm, in the market, in the fishing community and around the family table."

 

The three-day convening in Addis Ababa will continue through September 9, as civil society networks work to finalize their unified policy positions ahead of the upcoming negotiations.

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh 

 

Future of Energy Conference: Africa must power production, not just consumption — policy leaders

African countries must move beyond expanding electricity access for household consumption and focus on using energy as a catalyst for industrialisation, value addition and economic transformation, policy leaders at the Future of Energy Conference 2026 have said.

While African economies continue to pursue ambitious targets for universal electricity access, the experts argue that access alone will not deliver meaningful economic transformation unless energy systems are designed to support productive sectors.

Ghana, for instance, currently has about 89 percent electricity access and is targeting universal access by 2030.

At the conference, organised by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), experts stressed the need for African countries to align their energy strategies with industrial and economic development priorities.

Dr Marit Kitaw, Economic Affairs Officer at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), said there could be no just minerals transition without a corresponding just energy transition.

She said Africa must fundamentally rethink how it plans and deploys energy, moving from a consumption-driven approach towards one that supports production.

"Universal energy access remains a moral and development imperative. Access alone is not enough and industrial transformation requires power that is affordable, reliable, scalable and available," she said.

Dr Kitaw's position was echoed by Ghana's Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, who called for a shift from the export of raw materials towards high-value production within Africa.

"We must not replace fossil fuel export with raw minerals export and call it transformation because that it not," he emphasised.

The Finance Minister said Africa's industrialisation agenda must be pursued collectively, leveraging the continent's large market rather than treating its 54 economies as isolated markets.

"Africa must industralize as one market, not 54 fragmented economies. The Africa Continental Free Trade Area gives us reach but agreements alone does not create trade. We must move from trading what we produce to producing what Africa trades in," he stated.

He said Africa had the resources, market and human capital required to transform its economic fortunes, but the continent must now translate those advantages into productive capacity.

"The resources are here in Africa, the market is with us, the people of Africa are ready. Let us turn Africa's potential into production; production into jobs; and jobs into prosperity," the Minister said.

Dr Kitaw further noted that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides an opportunity to transform fragmented national markets into a single market of about 1.4 billion people.

She said stronger regional energy cooperation could also provide the foundation for industrial growth by improving reliability, lowering costs and enabling countries to optimise their energy resources.

"Regional power pools can help countries share generation capacity, reduce system costs and improve reliability, while regional mineral corridors can connect mines to processing hubs, manufacturing centers and markets," she said.

According to Dr Kitaw, Africa's energy strategies should be directly linked to mineral development plans, industrial policies, trade frameworks, infrastructure corridors and skills development.

The policy leaders' call comes as African countries seek to leverage their vast mineral resources, expanding energy systems and the AfCFTA to accelerate industrialisation, create jobs and retain more value from the continent's natural resources.

The emerging consensus is that Africa's energy transition must not only ensure that people have electricity, it must ensure that electricity powers factories, processing plants, businesses and the productive economy.

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

Future of Energy Conference: Africa cannot industrialise in the dark – ECOWAS Bank President

President of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), Dr George Nana Agyekum Donkor, has warned that Africa’s industrialisation ambitions will remain elusive without adequate, reliable and affordable energy.

 

He said Africa had for decades supplied the world with raw materials, including cocoa, gold and bauxite, while importing finished products at significantly higher costs, a situation that has constrained value addition, job creation and economic transformation on the continent.

 

"We have lit up other continents while over 600million of our own people remain in darkness," he stated as keynote speaker at the Future of Energy Conference 2026 in Accra. "Africa cannot industrialise in the dark".

 

Dr Donkor said achieving Africa’s industrialisation agenda would require deliberate policymaking, stronger coordination and substantial investment in energy infrastructure.

 

He stressed that no industrial revolution could take off without a robust and dependable energy system capable of supporting manufacturing and other productive sectors.

 

According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), Africa requires about $25 billion annually to achieve universal access to electricity, highlighting the scale of investment needed to close the continent’s energy deficit.

 

Dr Donkor said EBID, recognising energy as central to Africa’s industrialisation, had committed more than $1 billion of its resources across the energy value chain as of June 2026.

 

"We have invested in electricity generation,  both conventional and renewable, transmission and distribution projects, while also supporting fuel procurement to keep economies running," said Dr Donkor.

 

He said the bank’s Growth, Resilience and Optimisation Strategy would see it commit a minimum of $2 billion to the energy sector by 2030.

 

Dr Donkor proposed a four-pronged approach to addressing Africa’s energy deficit and creating the foundation for industrialisation.

 

The approach includes strengthening national and regional grid systems, deploying large-scale renewable energy systems, exploiting domestic natural gas resources and expanding embedded generation capacity within industries.

 

"Effective industrialisation in Africa requires a mixed energy system consisting reliable electricity, renewable energy, natural gas, regional power pools and distributed energy solutions. The objective is not merely to increase electricity access but to ensure that industries receive affordable, reliable and sufficient energy to drive manufacturing, value addition, employment creation and economic transformation," he said.

 

From minerals to industrial value chains

 

The Africa Mineral Development Centre (AMDC) also underscored the need for Africa to move beyond the extraction and export of raw minerals and develop industries capable of converting its vast natural resources into higher-value products.

 

Interim Director-General of the AMDC, Claudine Sigam, said Africa already possessed many of the mineral resources required to participate meaningfully in the global energy transition.

 

She said the key challenge was to develop the energy, industrial capacity, skills and markets required to transform those resources into materials, competitive enterprises, jobs and sustainable prosperity.

 

"When the global conversation focuses on minerals, Africa must broaden into materials, value chains and markets. Minerals alone does not create industrialization. We need competitive energy to transform minerals into materials, industrial capabilities to transform materials into products, and markets capable of sustaining those industries," she said.

 

Ms Sigam said Africa’s energy, mineral and industrial transformation should therefore be treated as an integrated development agenda aimed at maximising value creation on the continent.

 

The Future of Energy Conference 2026 is being held in Accra on the theme: "Powering Africa’s Industrial Transformation: Energy Systems for Value Addition and Competitiveness".

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

EV boom: Ghana moves to standardise charging infrastructure to protect power grid

The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr John Abdulai Jinapor, has called for greater standardisation and regulation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure as Ghana prepares for rising electricity demand from the growing adoption of electric mobility.

 

He said the rapid expansion of EVs, coupled with increasing electricity needs from industries, mines, data centres and businesses, requires deliberate planning to prevent pressure on the national power grid.

 

Speaking at the 2026 Future of Energy Conference (FEC) in Accra, Dr Jinapor said the government was working to ensure that the growth of electric mobility was matched by adequate investment in electricity generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure.

 

"Our research shows that when you use EV vehicles, you save about 40percent on the cost of fuel alone. So naturally, Ghanaians are opting for EV vehicles," he observed.

 

He said while the transition to electric mobility offered significant economic and environmental benefits, the uncoordinated expansion of charging infrastructure could create new challenges for the electricity distribution system.

 

According to the Minister, Ghana leads the African Market of EV vehicles, noting that some private operators were establishing charging stations using new technologies capable of charging vehicles within 10 to 15 minutes, but such fast-charging systems could draw significant amounts of electricity from the grid.

 

He cautioned that the concentration of high-demand charging facilities without adequate grid planning could put pressure on local distribution networks and transformers.

 

"So what we are saying is that you'd need permission to set up those EV charging stations from the Energy Commission. That gives us the opportunity to reinforce the grid to install more transformers to accommodate the charging stations," he said.

 

The Energy Commission has already directed individuals, companies and institutions intending to install or operate EV charging stations and battery-swap systems to obtain prior approval from the Commission. The directive is intended to ensure that charging infrastructure complies with national safety, technical and operational standards.

 

The Commission has also been developing regulations covering EV charging infrastructure and battery-swap systems, in collaboration with the Ghana Standards Authority. The proposed framework covers residential, workplace, public and commercial charging infrastructure, as well as safety and consumer protection.

 

Ghana's move towards electric mobility forms part of a broader effort to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and cut emissions from the transport sector. The Energy Commission's Drive Electric Initiative, launched in 2019, is intended to promote electric mobility while supporting the development of the necessary charging infrastructure.

 

The Commission has also demonstrated the potential of renewable-powered charging infrastructure through a solar-powered DC fast-charging station at its headquarters in Accra. The facility uses 105 solar photovoltaic panels with a combined capacity of 61.43 kilowatts, supported by a 60-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery.

 

Reliable power critical to industrialisation

 

Dr Jinapor also stressed that Ghana's industrialisation ambitions would remain difficult to achieve without reliable and competitively priced electricity.

 

He acknowledged no economy has industrialised without cheap power.

 

"You simply cannot industrialise without energy," he stated. "Industrialision requires electricity at scale; not just the electricity buy reliable electricity, predictable tariffs so that industries can plan and good power quality."

 

He said the country's energy planning must therefore anticipate future demand rather than respond only after new loads have emerged.

 

The anticipated growth in electricity consumption is expected to come from several sectors, including manufacturing, mining, electric mobility, digital infrastructure, data centres, commercial businesses and modern agriculture.

 

The Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Benjamin Boakye, said energy policy and industrial policy could not be considered separately if Ghana was serious about adding value to its natural resources.

 

"We have spent considerable time talking about industrailization and adding value to our national resources... but industrial production requires competitive input and energy is one of them the important.

 

"Processing requires energy, manufacturing requires energy, modern agriculture increasingly depend electricity while digital infrastructure depends on reliable power," he noted.

 

Mr Boakye's comments underscore the growing importance of electricity reliability and affordability to Ghana's industrial transformation agenda, particularly as the country seeks to move from the export of raw materials towards domestic processing and value addition.

 

Ghana currently has electricity access for about 89 per cent of its population, according to recent government and development-partner data, with universal access targeted by 2030. The country's National Energy Compact also identifies reliable and affordable electricity as a critical enabler of economic growth and industrial development.

 

The expansion of EVs is therefore expected to add another layer to electricity-demand planning, making investment in generation capacity, transmission infrastructure and distribution networks increasingly important.

 

The government has also encouraged investment in solar-powered EV charging systems as part of efforts to ensure that the transition to electric mobility is aligned with Ghana's clean-energy and climate objectives.

 

The FEC 2026, organised by ACEP, is being held under the theme, “Powering Africa's Industrial Transformation: Energy Systems for Value Addition and Competitiveness.”

 

The conference brings together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, investors and young professionals to deliberate on Africa's energy future and the role of energy systems in driving industrialisation, competitiveness and economic transformation.

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh 

Africa unites in Accra to forge unified climate strategy ahead of COP31

The African Group of Negotiators (AGN) on Climate Change has officially opened its 2^nd Strategy Meeting of the year, gathering the continent's top negotiators and leadership to sharpen Africa's collective position ahead of the upcoming COP31 summit in Antalya, Türkiye.

 

The three-day meeting, held from August 12–14, 2026, aims to move beyond a mere review of previous technical talks in Bonn (SB64) and instead establish a high-level political and technical strategy.

 

Addressing the assembly, AGN Chair Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah emphasized the urgency of the moment, noting that the continent must be fully prepared before arriving in Antalya this November.

 

"With less than four months to COP31, we cannot afford to approach Antalya without clarity on what Africa seeks to achieve," Dr. Amoah stated during his welcome address. He urged delegates to move beyond "business as usual" and be more strategic in both substance and process.

 

The discussions in Accra cover a vast array of critical issues, including adaptation, climate finance, just transition, agriculture, and the Global Stocktake. However, Dr. Amoah reminded the negotiators that the stakes extend far beyond the meeting rooms.

 

"For our countries, the negotiations are therefore not merely about text, paragraphs or procedural decisions," the Chair remarked. "They are about our people, our economies and our development prospects".

 

He highlighted the lived realities of African citizens, from farmers facing unpredictable rainfall to communities suffering from drought, flooding, and coastal erosion.

 

A Call for Continental Unity

 

A central theme of the Accra meeting is the necessity of a unified African front in an increasingly complex international landscape where climate talks now intersect with trade, energy, and peace and security.

 

"Our greatest strength has always been our ability to come together as one African Group," Dr. Amoah said. "We represent different countries, circumstances and perspectives, but when we enter the negotiations, we carry a collective responsibility to defend and advance the interests of our continent".

 

The primary output of the meeting will be a practical roadmap and a "COP31 Action Matrix," which will define specific responsibilities, timelines, and expected deliverables for the months leading up to the summit.

 

Dr. Amoah was clear that the meeting must yield tangible results: "We are not only in Accra to engage in another talking exercise... We must leave Accra with concrete outcomes and clear directions on next steps".

 

Beyond COP31, the strategy is also intended to lay the foundation for COP32, which is set to be hosted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This provides an opportunity to strengthen African leadership within the global climate process for 2027 and beyond.

 

The meeting is supported by various partners, including the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), the African Union Commission, and Power Shift Africa.

 

As deliberations continue, the AGN leadership remains focused on ensuring that international climate decisions do not constrain the "legitimate development aspirations" of the African continent.

 

African climate negotiators convene in Accra to shape future of Global Just Transition Mechanism

Leading climate experts and diplomats from across Africa have gathered in Accra for a critical two-day technical workshop aimed at consolidating Africa's position on the newly established Global Just Transition Mechanism (JTM).

 

The workshop, holding from August 10–11, 2026, serves as a high-stakes preparatory session ahead of COP31, where the international community will decide on the operational framework of this landmark climate tool.

 

In his opening address, Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, Chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) on Climate Change, emphasized that the global conversation has shifted from theory to action following COP30 in Belém.

 

He noted that the establishment of the JTM moved the process beyond a mere "deliberative space towards the establishment of a mechanism intended to support implementation, including access to finance, technical assistance, capacity-building, knowledge and international cooperation".

 

However, despite the momentum from COP30, Dr. Amoah cautioned that recent negotiations at SB64 in Bonn revealed significant hurdles regarding the mechanism's ambition and institutional independence.

 

He stressed that Africa can no longer rely on broad statements of intent.

 

"Ambition alone is no longer enough," Dr. Amoah told delegates. "We now need to translate our broad political positions into concrete and technically sound proposals that can find their way into negotiating text".

 

Centering Africa’s Development Realities

 

A central theme of the workshop is ensuring that the JTM reflects the unique socio-economic challenges of the African continent.

 

The AGN Chair made it clear that for Africa, a "just transition" cannot be a narrow conversation about energy sources alone.

 

"For the African Group, just transition must be understood within the context of Africa's development realities," Dr. Amoah stated. "It cannot simply be about moving away from one source of energy to another. It must speak to our aspirations for industrialisation, economic diversification, decent jobs, energy access, adaptation and resilience, value addition to our natural resources, and the wider transformation of our economies and societies".

 

The workshop is also addressing the "nexus issues" that complicate the transition, specifically trade and finance.

 

Dr. Amoah highlighted the risk of Africa remaining a "supplier of raw materials" while green technology and jobs are created elsewhere.

 

He called for a transition that enables Africa to participate equitably in the emerging green economy, noting that "a mechanism without a credible pathway to adequate resources risks becoming an institution with good intentions but limited ability to deliver".

 

A Bridge-Building Role

 

The AGN is positioning itself as a vital interlocutor in the global climate arena. According to the workshop’s concept note, the African Group occupies a central position, neither seeking to constrain the JTM's ambition like some developed nations nor approaching it with the same suspicions as other developing blocs.

 

Dr. Amoah challenged the participants to leave the workshop with a clear, unified voice. "As we begin, let us keep one fundamental question before us: What kind of Just Transition Mechanism will genuinely deliver for Africa? Our task over these two days is to provide a clear African answer to that question".

 

The outcomes of this workshop will be adopted by the broader AGN plenary and will form the basis of Africa's formal submissions to the UNFCCC.

 

With COP32 in Ethiopia slated as the likely venue for the formal launch of the JTM, the work currently underway in Accra is expected to be a cornerstone of the continent's climate strategy for years to come.

 

The workshop is organized in partnership with the Office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change of Kenya, with support from Power Shift Africa and the Global Wind Energy Council.

by Kofi Adu Domfeh