South Africa has committed to reaching phasing out human-caused carbon pollution by 2050. To get there, it needs to push as much renewable energy as possible into the national grid. The country is the world’s 15th largest carbon polluter. It’s one of only a handful of countries still heavily dependent on burning coal to generate…
Addis Ababa — East Africa’s economic growth is gaining momentum, driven by deeper regional integration, improving macroeconomic stability, and expanding investment in renewable energy, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). In an exclusive interview with ENA, Stephen Karingi, Director of the ECA’s Macroeconomics, Finance and Governance Division, said the sub-region is…
President Donald Trump injected some politics into this year’s Christmas Eve phone calls with children from across the country, touching on topics like energy production and the 2020 election. Fielding calls as part of the U.S. military’s annual NORAD Tracks Santa event, Trump asked one caller what she wanted for Christmas. “Not coal,” said the…
Nairobi — As 2025 draws to a close, Africa’s solar story is entering a new and decisive chapter. What was once seen as slow and incremental progress has begun to transform into something far more dynamic. The continent’s solar capacity, which reached 19.2 GW by the end of 2024, has grown steadily across utility-scale, commercial…
South Africa opened its G20 presidency with an ambitious message for a world divided by conflict and economic strain: solidarity, equality and sustainability. The Johannesburg G20 leaders’ summit tried to mend deep geopolitical rifts. Even those who chose to boycott the summit remained included – with their chairs left symbolically empty. A G20 presidency is…
Africa’s efforts to scale up clean energy are being held back by financing rules that do not align with the needs of mid-sized renewable projects, according to investors and developers. They say current lending systems are designed for large-scale infrastructure, leaving smaller ventures struggling to move forward. Speaking at the Africa Investment Forum on November…
STORY HIGHLIGHTS The Holhol Dam has been rehabilitated under the World Bank-supported Somalia Water for Rural Resilience Project (Barwaaqo) to support over 6,000 people and thousands of livestock. The upgraded dam now holds up to 70,000 cubic meters of water and serves surrounding villages such as Asha-ado, Abuqeys, and Sogsogley. The rehabilitation of five water…
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg. The European Union (EU) has pledged €7 billion (R139 billion) to accelerate renewable energy rollout across the African continent. The announcement, which was made at the G20 Leaders’ Summit at the weekend, is in line with the continent’s clean-power transition. European…
A COP30 roundtable in Belém, Brazil. PHOTO/UN. By PATRICK MAYOYO [email protected] UN Secretary-General António Guterres has ramped up his call for a faster global transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, which he described as “the cheapest source of new electricity in nearly every country.” The latest appeal came on Friday during his address to…
Global Citizen has announced that its flagship Global Citizen NOW action summit will be held in South Africa for the first time on November 21, at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The event, taking place on the eve of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, will convene world leaders, business executives, and activists to accelerate investment…
