NAIROBI: The head of the International Energy Agency urged the United States and China to set aside their differences and align on climate change, warning in an interview on Monday that"geopolitical fractures" risked holding back the clean energy transition.
But he said geopolitical tensions were casting a"big shadow" because"international collaboration between the major players will be much more challenging". The November climate summit in oil-rich United Arab Emirates will likely be dominated by clashing visions on energy. He said that countries in the region might need to continue to exploit their gas resources for certain activities, which he argued would not significantly increase the continent's tiny carbon footprint - roughly 3 per cent of global emissions.
He said it was an"injustice" that around half of the population on the continent did not have access to electricity, despite the fact that Africa hosts 60 per cent of the world's best solar energy resources, with solar now the cheapest way to generate power. Singling out the oil and gas companies who have said access to energy is a key priority, he added that it would cost US$4 billion - or roughly less than 0.1 per cent of the revenues the major fossil fuel firms racked up last year - to help millions access clean cooking technologies.MONEY MATTERSAfrican countries are also hamstrung by rising debt costs.
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