Teresa Ribera, European Commission Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, was in Addis with a full agenda. She spoke at the Opening Ceremony of ACS2 and participated in a large number of high-level events, including the one on Carbon Markets and Pricing, a Panel on the African Single Electricity Market and the Africa-Europe Policymakers Dialogue on Energy Transition Minerals. She also met with African and international leaders, co-hosted a Dialogue with Non State Actors on climate with Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) and was the first partner to receive the Africa Youth Climate Assembly (AYCA) declaration, listening to the African youth and civil society’s concerns and suggestions.
TheTeam Europe Pavilion at the ACS2 represented the strong joint commitment of Europe and Africa to accelerate climate action, deepen cooperation, and demonstrate how Global Gateway investments deliver real results for people, the planet and prosperity. The official opening was led by Sofie From-Emmesberger, EU Ambassador to Ethiopia, Javier Niño Pérez, EU Ambassador to the African Union, Semereta Sewasew, State Minister of Finance for Economic Cooperation of Ethiopia, Moses Vilakati, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, and Jean-Luc Crucke, Minister of Mobility, Climate and Ecological Transition of Belgium, on behalf of all EU member states.
At ACS2, key initiatives were launched to accelerate Africa’s clean energy transition. One was the Continental Energy Programme in Africa (CEPA): a EUR 15 million initiative that opens a new chapter in EU–AU cooperation on the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM), the Continental Masterplan (CMP) and the African Energy Efficiency Strategy (AfEES) and that will advance cross-border market operations, transmission development, renewable investments and energy-efficiency measures. On a national level, the RISED Ethiopia: a flagship program to strengthen, modernise and green Ethiopia’s power grid. Find here the opening remarks by Executive Vice-President Ribera on this occasion. Both initiatives contribute to the “Scaling up Renewables in Africa” pledging campaign launched by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa. The Global Gateway Forum, on October 9-10, showcased many other EU investments in Africa’s economy and climate resilience, with the ambition to mobilise EUR 150 billion in investments by 2027.
African governments, farmer cooperatives, private innovators, and international partners joined forces to present pioneering solutions for meeting the EU Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR), while strengthening rural livelihoods, support smallholder farmers and protecting forests. Furthermore, the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed technical assistance agreements with Zemen Bank SC, Dashen Bank SC and Hibret Bank in Ethiopia that will strengthen their ability to analyse and encourage climate-related investments.
During ACS2, we listened to different voices on how they describe the AU-EU partnership, a wish for its 25th anniversary (#AUEU25), and on why climate should be a priority: more information and the link to the video here.
The EU has successfully decoupled its economic growth from CO2 emissions since 1990, meaning its economy has grown while emissions have fallen. The EU’s economy is now 66% larger, but its CO2 emissions are 37% lower than in 1990 and we are on track to achieve the ambitious 55% reduction target by 2030, and climate neutrality by 2050.
Ten years after the Paris Agreement on Climate Change was adopted, greater efforts are still needed to keep the 1.5°C target within reach. Africa and the EU together account for around 10% only of global greenhouse gas emissions. We must join forces to secure a successful outcome at COP30 in Brazil. As the world’s largest climate finance contributor, the EU is partnering with Africa to support both mitigation and adaptation, strengthening resilience and enabling a sustainable development path.
Source: Delegation of the European Union to the African Union