Addis Ababa — It is essential for African governments to build back strong from the coronavirus crisis by placing investments in sustainable energy among the central recovery goals, and linking recovery investment to strengthening the foundation of future sustainable development.
This was said Wednesday by Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Executive Secretary, Ms. Vera Songwe, and Renewable Energy Solutions for Africa (Res4Africa) Secretary General, Roberto Vigotti, in a joint statement following the publication of a study by their institutions exploring the impact of COVID-19 on African economies and their energy sectors.
The study, which was done in partnership with SDA Bocconi and with the support of Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and Ethiopian Women in Energy (EWiEn), analyses the role of renewable energy in the post-COVID-19 phase, providing policy recommendations to sustain growth in a new sustainable equilibrium.
Africa, like the rest of the world, has been severely affected by the spread of COVID-19 in the recent months with an estimated 5 to 29 million people being reduced back to live below the poverty line.
“In this peculiar socio-economic context, the strategic relevance of the energy sector in guaranteeing the well-being of our cities and populations becomes even clearer,” Ms. Songwe and Mr. Vigotti say in the statement. Read more…
