NAIROBI, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- The ability of African countries to withstand climatic shocks, stimulate growth and create jobs for young people and women is dependent on investments geared towards expanding access to cleaner energy sources, an expert said Wednesday.
Harnessing the continent's immense renewable energy sources is key to securing a green and sustainable future for communities, said Joseph Nganga, executive director for power and climate in Africa at the Rockefeller Foundation, during a virtual interview with Xinhua.
Nganga said African countries participating in the COP 26 are viewing the climate crisis as an opportunity to leverage clean energy to accelerate low carbon development as opposed to relying on tokenism from the rich north.
Green industries, in particular, have the potential to unleash multiple benefits including climate mitigation and revitalization of Africa's rural economies, according to Nganga, and targeted investments combined with conducive policy and the right regulatory framework are key to expanding access to clean energy on the continent and supporting the growth of indigenous manufacturing.
He said pulling resources from diverse sources combined with progressive leadership and enhanced coordination will boost access to climate-friendly sources of energy in Africa.
Moreover, said the expert, innovative business models and technologies are key to connecting off-grid communities on the continent with modern and cleaner sources of energy, supporting the growth of light industries and climate-smart agriculture.
He suggested that Africa's rural households connected to stand-alone solar solutions are likely to reap multiple social, economic, health and ecological benefits.
Nganga singled out solar solutions as key to improving the economic status of rural households through irrigation, rice and maize milling, and better access to markets for farm produce.
Fiscal incentives are required to attract private sector financing in clean energy supply to Africa's off-grid communities, boost their productivity and climate resilience, Nganga said. Enditem