UN representative states: China empowers Africa's green energy shift through EVs
A senior official from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) stated that cooperation with China is providing essential momentum for Africa's efforts toward a green energy transition, particularly by advancing the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) throughout the continent.
TroibNews 
Collaboration with China is significantly boosting Africa's pursuit of a green energy transition, particularly through the advancement of electric vehicles (EVs) on the continent, according to a senior official from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
Robert Tama Lisinge, the acting director of the technology, innovation, connectivity, and infrastructure division at UNECA, emphasized the critical role of China-Africa partnerships in enhancing electric mobility across Africa.
Drawing attention to the continent's momentum towards a sustainable future, with the EV revolution at its core, Lisinge indicated that UNECA is spearheading efforts in which cooperation with China is a vital catalyst for Africa's green energy ambitions.
"We want to see more Africans driving EVs on the streets of the continent. Not just driving EVs, we want to see electric vehicles being manufactured on our continent in the spirit of transition to clean energy, industrialization and value addition," he stated.
He pointed out the challenges posed by Africa's transportation sector, which is largely dependent on fossil fuels and considerably contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. According to Lisinge, there is a pressing need for cooperative approaches to facilitate the transition to green energy as a global necessity.
"We know that the transport sector in Africa and, indeed, the rest of the world, is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions," he asserted. "That is why we do believe that fighting greenhouse gas emission and protecting our climate have to also focus on the transport sector, and we are supporting energy transition in this sector through the use of EVs."
Acknowledging the barriers to EV adoption in Africa, Lisinge mentioned that UNECA is collaborating with China and other stakeholders to overcome the ongoing issues impeding the growth of the EV market on the continent.
"China is a major leading producer of electric vehicles, and China is also very advanced in developing energy storage facilities. China is already exporting a lot of electric vehicles not only to Africa but also to the rest of the world," he explained.
He further highlighted Africa's wealth of raw materials necessary for battery production. "At the UNECA, we are working on the value-chain of battery production, not just exporting the raw materials, but producing the batteries in Africa," he added.
The UNECA official also underscored the importance of existing partnerships between China and Africa in the context of energy transition.
"In energy transition, there is a huge collaboration between China and Africa. China is already a leader in many ways in energy transition because China is manufacturing a lot of the components for solar energy and solar panels and in manufacturing components of wind turbines. China is also a leading country in that are used to produce hydrogen from water, using green electricity. A lot of these solar projects that you see in Africa are using solar panels from China," he said.
Lisinge highlighted the significant potential in the China-Africa relationship regarding the localization of technology for developing green energy solutions on the continent, thus effectively utilizing Africa's abundant renewable resources.
"It has a lot to do with the transfer of technology because Africa has abundant renewable energy resources and we have the minerals that are critical for green energy transition," he noted.
He called for enhancing the China-Africa partnership focused on developing infrastructure, building capacity, and transferring technology, particularly in the expanding green energy sector.
"China is already investing more than anyone else in infrastructure development in Africa, including energy. We recognize the important role that China is playing in Africa's infrastructure development, and we would want to see more of that happening in Africa," said Lisinge.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
Robert Tama Lisinge, the acting director of the technology, innovation, connectivity, and infrastructure division at UNECA, emphasized the critical role of China-Africa partnerships in enhancing electric mobility across Africa.
Drawing attention to the continent's momentum towards a sustainable future, with the EV revolution at its core, Lisinge indicated that UNECA is spearheading efforts in which cooperation with China is a vital catalyst for Africa's green energy ambitions.
"We want to see more Africans driving EVs on the streets of the continent. Not just driving EVs, we want to see electric vehicles being manufactured on our continent in the spirit of transition to clean energy, industrialization and value addition," he stated.
He pointed out the challenges posed by Africa's transportation sector, which is largely dependent on fossil fuels and considerably contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. According to Lisinge, there is a pressing need for cooperative approaches to facilitate the transition to green energy as a global necessity.
"We know that the transport sector in Africa and, indeed, the rest of the world, is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions," he asserted. "That is why we do believe that fighting greenhouse gas emission and protecting our climate have to also focus on the transport sector, and we are supporting energy transition in this sector through the use of EVs."
Acknowledging the barriers to EV adoption in Africa, Lisinge mentioned that UNECA is collaborating with China and other stakeholders to overcome the ongoing issues impeding the growth of the EV market on the continent.
"China is a major leading producer of electric vehicles, and China is also very advanced in developing energy storage facilities. China is already exporting a lot of electric vehicles not only to Africa but also to the rest of the world," he explained.
He further highlighted Africa's wealth of raw materials necessary for battery production. "At the UNECA, we are working on the value-chain of battery production, not just exporting the raw materials, but producing the batteries in Africa," he added.
The UNECA official also underscored the importance of existing partnerships between China and Africa in the context of energy transition.
"In energy transition, there is a huge collaboration between China and Africa. China is already a leader in many ways in energy transition because China is manufacturing a lot of the components for solar energy and solar panels and in manufacturing components of wind turbines. China is also a leading country in that are used to produce hydrogen from water, using green electricity. A lot of these solar projects that you see in Africa are using solar panels from China," he said.
Lisinge highlighted the significant potential in the China-Africa relationship regarding the localization of technology for developing green energy solutions on the continent, thus effectively utilizing Africa's abundant renewable resources.
"It has a lot to do with the transfer of technology because Africa has abundant renewable energy resources and we have the minerals that are critical for green energy transition," he noted.
He called for enhancing the China-Africa partnership focused on developing infrastructure, building capacity, and transferring technology, particularly in the expanding green energy sector.
"China is already investing more than anyone else in infrastructure development in Africa, including energy. We recognize the important role that China is playing in Africa's infrastructure development, and we would want to see more of that happening in Africa," said Lisinge.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
