Accelerating Clean Energy

Accelerating Clean Energy in West Africa:

Climate change is felt worldwide, and in already vulnerable countries the consequences are particularly severe. In spite of the challenges West African countries are committed to the climate agenda.
In the newly launched SustainableEnergy project “Accelerating Implementation of Regional Policies on Clean Energy in West Africa”, CSO partners are advocating for clean energy primarily at the national and regional level. The aim is to accelerate the implementation of clean energy and energy efficiency policies in seven West African countries: Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin and Niger.

The project contributes to strengthening national and regional CSOs in order to increase the pressure on different political actors to comply with international climate change obligations.

In order to ensure sustainable solutions to the issue of climate change, action on both national, regional and international level is required. Joseph Kogbé from the associated partner organisation OPED in Togo is optimistic towards international climate change action due to the Paris Agreement: “It was a historical agreement made between both industrialised countries, growth economies and developing countries. Across countries there was commitment and will to reach a solution to this problem”.

The Paris Agreement is a positive development on the international level, but there is still some cause for concern: “We don’t see the means for reaching the target of the Paris Agreement”, Joseph remarks, and continues: “[climate change] affects agricultural production, and this in turn affects the health – for example through malnutrition. Furthermore, you see people becoming increasingly poor […]. The population is sustained by agriculture, and this activity is no longer profitable”.

In developing countries, the climate change agenda is intrinsically linked to development. Among others this project advocates for increased development of power supply based on clean energy. The project therefore puts development at the top of the agenda – but at the same time the approach is based on sustainability.
In the video below you will find the full interview with Joseph Kogbé where he accounts for climate change in Togo and the significance of the Paris Agreement for developing countries. The video is in French with Danish subtitles.

SustainableEnergy in West Africa – Joseph Kogbé from the associated partner organisation OPED Togo
The project was launched in January 2016 and continues for a three-year period. The project is funded by DANIDA through the CISU Climate and Environment Fund.