VENRO and Germanwatch publish study on climate change 

Particularly in Africa, the effects of climate change can already be clearly felt today. In the future, too, the continent is going to be especially hard-hit by the impact of climate change, in spite of hardly having contributed to it. This is why urgent measures have to be taken to adapt to climate change. The biggest challenge for African countries is financing, for instance of technologies, for a successful adaptation process. 

The Climate Partnership of the Africa-EU Strategy has set itself the goal of creating a common climate policy agenda. Over the last two years, the Partnership has developed goals and co-operation options for the dialogue in Copenhagen. However, it yet remains to come up with solutions to the issue of financing.

Germanwatch and VENRO therefore demand greater co-operation in the context of the Joint Africa-EU Partnership. Africa and Europe need to act in concert to ensure the success of adaptation to climate change.

Download the study

On Monday, 30th November, African and European representatives of civil society, politics and science discussed the opportunities and challenges of the Africa-EU Strategy. The conference was organised by VENRO in collaboration with the European umbrella association CONCORD and Deutsche Welle.

Two years ago, the first Action Plan came into force, but so far, it has hardly helped the people, especially in Africa: 70 percent of the poor are women, 80 percent of the poor live in rural regions and just 10 percent of them have access to energy. This is why the participants are above all discussing what ought to be considered in a second Action Plan, which is scheduled to enter force in 2011.  

The civil society representatives in the hall agreed that the Africa-EU Strategy needs a separate partnership on gender! As a cross-cutting issue, the area of gender is not given sufficient attention. For good governance, democratisation processes and sustainable development cannot be realised without an active and equal participation of women.  

Access to sustainable energy is the key to development and progress in Africa, the panellists agreed. However, it is essential that the people in rural regions are linked to energy supply. This is why a new Action Plan should promote small and decentralised projects within the Partnership in particular. It is important for the poor that they can convert energy into income.  

At the Panel on Trade, Regional Integration and Infrastructure, a lively debate developed over the relations between the Africa-EU Strategy and the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). So far, the EPAs have been explicitly excluded from the Action Plan. In their present form, the EPAs are not conducive to development!   The participants agreed that regional integration is a priority for the African states. Insufficient infrastructure development in rural regions was regarded as a considerable obstacle to development.

On November 30, 2009, VENRO organises in cooperation with CONCORD and the Deutsche Welle an international conference at the Deutsche Welle in Bonn.

In December 2007, European and African heads of state and government adopted the Joint Africa-EU Strategy, which was to mark the beginning of a new political partnership at eye-level.
The Final Declaration says that “We will develop this partnership of equals, based on the effective engagement of our societies, in order to achieve significant results in our fundamental commitments, namely: the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.”

Since 2007, however, things have gone rather quiet on the Strategy, and it has received only little public attention. The international conference “Partnership for the Poor” is aimed at taking stock two years after its adoption. In what way has it been of any use to the poor so far? What risks and opportunities does the Joint EU-Africa Strategy bear when it comes to combating poverty? Are changes of direction necessary in politics? What is the role of civil society in Africa and Europe?
The focus will be on the topics of Governance and Gender, Sustainable Energy for Africa’s Development, and Regional Integration and Trade.
African and European representatives from the fields of politics, business and civil society have been invited.

Take a look at the conference programme.

You can already confirm your participation by sending an email to:
afrikas.perspektive(at)venro.org  

Africa urgently requires a change in energy politics!
This is the conclusion drawn at the International Symposium on “Rethinking Biomass Energy in Sub-Sahara Africa” that VENRO and Forum Environment and Development held in Bonn on the 25th August.
Around 50 experts from non-governmental organisations, government development co-operation as well as science and research discussed the opportunities and challenges for bio-energy projects in Sub-Sahara Africa.  

The event focused on the presentation of a study commissioned by VENRO and Forum Environment and Development and carried out by the International Center for Energy, Environment and Development (ICEED) titled “Rethinking Biomass Energy in Sub-Sahara Africa”. In addition to the presentation of the study by ICEED Director Ewah Eleri and the subsequent discussion, further contributions were given by African and European partners who discussed their views and the prospects for renewables in Africa.

Furthermore, representatives of African and European civil society, government representatives and participants from science and industry discussed criteria for successful bio-energy projects in development co-operation in a panel debate.   They noted that biomass is the main source of energy for 80 percent of the African population. The use of firewood, above all as a domestic energy source, is frequently not sustainable. Air pollution caused by inefficient cooking stoves results in half a million deaths each year. Therefore, access to modern bio-energy has to play a key role in energy policies.  

The lack of access to modern energy is a crucial obstacle to development in Africa. The national and international donors must urgently give this problem more attention. Energy supply is not a technical but a political issue and must play a greater role in rural development in particular. The Africa-EU Energy Partnership has to support the African countries in creating political framework conditions for the use of modern bio-energy.  

Furthermore, Africa’s energy policy has to take more account of the potentials that decentralised renewable energy bears. Centralised plans for major power stations cannot eliminate energy poverty in wide stretches of the continent. Sustainability standards need to be agreed for the production of bio-energy in order to ensure that this is contributing to poverty alleviation and not only meets the interests of investors.  

In addition, the fundamental political failure of several African governments, corruption and bad governance were criticised. Setting energy goals could enhance the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Africa. This is why science, civil society and governments should co-operate more closely in order to take up this huge challenge.  

The VENRO Project “Prospects for Africa – Europe’s Policies” will continue to actively accompany the Africa-EU Energy Partnership. You can find further information on planned events here.

International Symposium – Rethinking Biomass Energy in Sub-Sahara Africa
“Haus der Evangelischen Kirche” in Bonn 

Modern and decentralised use of bioenergy is the topic of this symposium, which VENRO and the German NGO Forum Environment and Development are organising in the context of the project Prospects for Africa – Europe’s Policies. 

All too often, the debate on bioenergy is restricted to biofuels. But they only represent one way of making use of biomass to generate energy.
Ten percent of energy consumption world-wide is covered by traditional biomass, such as firewood and livestock dung. In Sub-Sahara Africa, consumption in some countries is even at up to 90 percent. Use is usually not sustainable. More wood is burnt than can be re-grown, and by burning up livestock dung, the soil is denied important nutrients. One of the consequences of this is progressive desertification.

The Symposium focuses on modern renewable energy options for Sub-Sahara Africa:
How can the rural areas of Africa be linked up with modern energy supply? What is the role of bioenergy in this context, and to what degree can biofuels replace imports of crude oil? How should export-oriented biofuels programmes of some African countries be assessed? 

The event is to focus on the presentation of a survey commissioned by VENRO and the Forum Environment and Development and conducted by the International Center for Energy, Environment and Development (ICEED) titled “Rethinking Biomass Energy in Sub-Sahara Africa”. In addition to the presenting of the survey by ICEED’s Director, Ewah Eleri, and the subsequent discussion, there will be further contributions from African partners who are to give their views and explain the prospects for renewable energies in Africa.
Furthermore, representatives of African and European civil society, government representatives and participants from research and industry will discuss criteria for successful bioenergy projects in development co-operation. 

The Conference is in English. 

There is still time to register at afrikas.perspektive(at)venro.org until 20^th August 2009.

More information and registration.