African Countries Receive $1.1B for Climate Action
Six African countries were recently announced as the recipients of $1.1 billion in new grants and financing for climate action initiatives. Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and Niger will share the additional resources to strengthen their investments in clean energy.
The funding was awarded during Climate Investment Funds’ (CIF) trustee meetings in Washington, D.C. this month.
Morocco aims for a 600 percent increase in wind power and a 15 percent reduction in energy use in buildings, industry and transport by 2020, according to The World Bank. Photo: Flickr/Gret@Lorenz
“The CIF support for Africa is coming at a critical time,” said Katherine Sierra, vice president of sustainable development at the World Bank. “Climate change has the potential to turn back the clock on hard won development gains across the continent. CIF financing is teaching us how to work together with governments, civil society and the private sector to make truly transformational investments a reality.”
Clean energy development in Africa will contribute to long-term economic growth. South Africa will receive the largest chunk of financing, about $500 million.
Channeled through the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), the financing will support the nation’s goals of generating 4 percent of its electricity needs from renewable energy sources by 2013; improving energy efficiency by 12 percent by 2015 and providing 1 million households with solar water heating in the next five years.
Egypt will receive $300 million from CIF to develop wind power and low-carbon urban transport systems. Morocco will receive $150 million to establish a national energy development fund, which will serve as the nation’s central pillar of government strategy to pursue low-carbon growth and enhance energy security.
The other three countries, Mozambique, Niger and Zambia, will each receive $50-75 million in grants and/or low-interest loans to help integrate climate risk into their core development planning. The three nations “all share dramatic risks in potential loss of land, life and livelihoods as a result of climate change” according to The World Bank. They have been selected as pilot countries for the Strategic Climate Fund’s (SCF) climate resilience program.
thestrategist
posted on November 19th, 2009 at 5:17 am
Allow me to introduce a brainchild of mine, Project Genesis Morocco, it is an energy geopolitical vision for Morocco; A Morocco that could evolve in a matter of years from being a consumer of energy and a country facing water shortages issues, into the number one producer both of clean renewable energy and water for the region through solar power production and solar powered desalination.
Project Genesis Morocco as I envision it would not only provide for a 100% of the country energy needs, but a large overproduction capacity would developed enabling Morocco to export electricity to Europe through the existing and upgraded linkage to the European power grid.
This vision relies heavily the prime geostrategical position of the country and of an exceptional proximity to large energy and water markets such as Europe, North Africa and the MEA. Projections indicate global electricity demand will increase 80% by 2030, as for water several countries are already facing shortages and the trend seems to be on the rise.