At COP28, Kenya’s President William Ruto, in collaboration with the UAE, spearheaded a significant gathering of African Heads of State and key figures to drive forward Africa’s Green Industrialization.
This event saw the participation of State Heads from Angola, Burundi, Djibouti, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, and Zambia, along with COP28 President Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, the UN’s Climate Change High-Level Champion for Egypt, and representatives from prominent green development firms, multilateral development banks, and influential organizations from the UAE and Africa.
The Africa Green Industrialization Initiative, championed by Kenya, is dedicated to boosting green industries and enterprises across Africa, fostering climate resilience, and promoting sustainable economic growth on the continent.
President Ruto emphasized that this initiative is a significant move towards fulfilling the objectives of the Nairobi Declaration, focusing on private sector-driven growth in green industrial sectors.
The initiative was unanimously supported by African leaders as a crucial strategy for their countries’ development. They discussed their strategies for comprehensive socio-economic transformation through the rapid expansion of green industrial clusters and the development of regional and global markets for green products and technologies, essential for the global clean energy supply chain.
Senegal’s President, Macky Sall, highlighted the collaborative efforts in establishing a sustainable economic model for Africa, emphasizing the initiative’s role in stimulating economic expansion and creating sustainable employment opportunities.
The Kenyan President’s initiative highlights the critical role of green industrialization in tapping into Africa’s abundant resources to ensure widespread prosperity. Participants underscored that Africa’s move towards green industrialization is vital to meet global climate goals.
Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, President of COP28, praised the initiative, aligning it with the COP28 Presidency’s Clean Energy program initiated at the Africa Climate Summit.
He stressed the UAE’s commitment to aiding countries in green industrialization, ensuring the availability of quality jobs and opportunities. He pointed out that the challenge in Africa is not a lack of resources, but a lack of action.
The event showcased the significant strides made in the $4.5 billion Africa Green Investment initiative, launched at the African Climate Summit in Nairobi earlier this year.
This initiative, led by UAE’s Masdar, AMEA Power, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, and Etihad Credit Insurance, with Africa50 as a strategic partner, has already committed nearly USD 2.6 billion to green energy projects in 8 countries, set to contribute approximately 1.8 GW of clean energy to Africa’s power grid.
