The IEA summit, where oil and gas execs are well-represented, will see gas as the solution. What Africa needs is people-centred renewable energy.. While the IEA is based in Paris, it was an unfortunate decision to host the event so far away from the continent on which its outcomes will have the furthest-reaching impacts.
Humanity should be ashamed that 3.7 million people die prematurely each year due to smoke inhalation and indoor air pollution. 60% of these deaths happen in Africa, including in my country Uganda. Moreover, research findings consistently suggest that LPG is unaffordable for most rural households in Africa. Nonetheless, this IEA summit seeks to unlock billions of dollars to provide solutions rooted in gas.
Exasperatingly, the African Development Bank also seems to have a preference for natural gas over other forms of clean cooking. African governments and financial institutions such as the AfDB should instead work together to remove all the barriers to investments in a just and green transition in Africa.