When African Heads of State, government representatives, private sector leaders, development partners, and civil society participants gathered in Tanzania for the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit, they did so against the backdrop of a continent that has seen off-grid solar solutions revolutionize energy access—with remarkable progress made and significant potential yet to be tapped.
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The extraordinary lack of energy in Africa–affecting about 300 million women-has profound effects on women’s economic opportunities. Women are already disproportionately affected by energy poverty, especially in rural areas. On average, women and girls spend 50 hours a week just fetching firewood, cooking, and collecting water. That’s 50 hours spent on subsistence, not on growing a business, pursuing education, or improving their health. In fact, 900 million African women and girls who lack access to clean cooking technology suffer from smoke inhalation-related diseases. That’s a huge barrier to their health, education, and economic potential.
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What will it take to bring electricity to 300 million people in Africa who currently live without it? This is the goal we’ve set for Mission 300—to halve the number of people on the continent without reliable electricity by 2030. But setting a goal is just the spark. We need a full-blown power surge of bold reforms, investments, and an enabling environment for sustainable, scalable, and affordable energy solutions.
Continue readingDAR ES SALAAM, January 28, 2025 — Thirty African Heads of State and governments today committed to concrete reforms and actions to expand access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity to power economic growth, improve quality of life, and drive job creation across the continent.
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World Bank Group, African Development Bank initiative could halve the number of people in Africa living without electricity access
WASHINGTON, April 17, 2024 – The World Bank Group and African Development Bank Group are partnering on an ambitious effort to provide at least 300 million people in Africa with electricity access by 2030.
The World Bank Group will work to connect 250 million people to electricity through distributed renewable energy systems or the distribution grid while the African Development Bank Group will support an additional 50 million people.
Continue readingOver half a billion people in Sub-Saharan Africa are at risk of being left behind without electricity access by 2030, with nearly 400 million of them living in countries subject to fragility, conflict, and violence. Africa is where the energy access battle will be won or lost. Without access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy, the region will not reach its development aspirations or achieve an economic transformation that can lift millions out of poverty.
Together with partners, the World Bank Group has already begun efforts to deploy innovative financial and technical solutions that are essential for accelerating electrification rates that outpace population growth.
The discussion will focus on what it will take to scale up the solutions and investments that will help connect millions more Africans to electricity and transform African economies.
Dependence on fossil fuels in many countries leads to a vicious cycle of increasing costs,
higher energy prices for consumers, more pollution that impacts people’s health, and higher greenhouse gas emissions that endanger the planet. In contrast,
However, renewable energy projects do not materialize, and countries remain trapped in the vicious cycle. This happens despite the fact that many developing countries have some of the best solar and wind resources in the world. So how can we support governments to break free from fossil fuel dependency and catalyze the virtuous cycle for clean energy?
Cities, as engines of prosperity, are major contributors to climate change, generating about 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, as home to more than half of humanity, cities are on the front lines of climate change.
New analysis from the World Bank examines the two-way relationship between cities and climate change, concluding that cities also hold one of the keys to solving the climate crisis. With data from more than 10,000 cities, the report offers insight into how to help cities become greener, more resilient, and more inclusive – in other words, on how to help their cities thrive – in a changing climate.
Netherlands for the World Bank 
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