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Three of the continent’s leaders have outlined their nations’ climate commitments and priorities as COP27 continues in Egypt. Conrad Onyango, bird story agency Green was the colour of the day as heads of state from Kenya, Ghana and Zambia laid out strong climate-related commitments at what’s been termed “Africa’s COP” in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Kenyan President Dr William Ruto was among those hosted by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the launch of the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership. Kenyan President William Ruto addressing the COP 27 conference in Egypt. (Photo: Bird Story Agency) Ruto reaffirmed his country’s commitment to accelerating reafforestation, telling delegates: “We remain committed to being in the frontline in sustainable land use and the conservation, protection, management and restoration of forests.” Kenya and the UK have also agreed to fast-track six green investment projects valued at US $4.1 billion (KSh 500 billion) that cover the green energy, agriculture and transport sectors. Under the five-year agreement, according to a statement, the UK will also commit “KES 2 billion to a new guarantee company that will lower investment risk and unlock KES 12 bn of climate finance for Kenyan projects over the next 3 years”. Ruto will play a pivotal role throughout COP27; he chairs the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change and, as such, represents the continent’s common positions on several priorities. These include rich nations fulfilling their existing pledges, more funding more mitigation and adaptation, and the scaling up of renewable energy investments. Elsewhere at the summit, during a high-level event on sustainable energy for all, Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo promised his country would “responsibly implement” its Just Energy Transition. “We will continue to increase the share of renewable energy in our electricity generation mix, as well as explore the options of hydrogen gas and other clean energy sources to meet our energy needs,” said Akufo-Addo. But, he added, the framework underlying the transition would see Ghana make the shift at its “own pace”. The US$561.8 billion framework, structured to “minimise possible stranded assets and job losses in the oil and gas sector”, puts the West African nation on track to achieve net zero emissions by 2070. Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema, meanwhile, took to Twitter to explain that adaptation – through a green, clean economy and climate-smart initiatives – is his country’s top environmental priority. “We place significant importance on actions that address the effects of climate change in order to enhance the resilience of our population, ecosystems, infrastructure, productive and health systems,” Hichilema tweeted. He continued: “COP27 taking place in Africa gives us high hopes that ‘the African COP’ will deliver significant progress and implementable climate actions on issues of priority for Africa and other developing countries.” bird story agency

Ambitious new African carbon market plan promises big money, tens of millions of jobs Seth Onyango, bird story agency Africa’s energy transition has received a massive shot in the arm with the unveiling of a new carbon offset scheme designed to prioritise carbon credits, generate billions of dollars in revenue and support tens of millions of jobs across the continent. The Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI) was unveiled at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. It is led by a 13-member steering committee of African leaders, corporate heads and carbon credit experts. In the first phase, from now to 2030, the initiative aims to produce 300 million credits in Africa annually, to haul in US$6 billion in revenue and support 30 million jobs on the continent. From 2030 to 2050, the numbers will jump; 1.5 billion credits; US$120 billion in revenue and support for more than 110 million jobs. Collaborators of the ACMI include the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, with the support of UN Climate Change High-Level Champions Dr Mahmoud Mohieldin and Nigel Topping. Damilola Ogunbiyi, the CEO of SEforALL, noted that the current financing scale available for Africa’s energy transition is nowhere close to what is required despite its massive potential. "Achieving the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative targets will provide much-needed financing that will be transformative for the continent,” she said. The website carboncredits.com describes carbon credits, or allowances, as being like “permission slips for emissions”. One carbon credit is equivalent to one ton of carbon dioxide or, in some parts of the world, gases equivalent to carbon dioxide. Figures from Good Governance Africa capture just how small a role the continent currently plays in the global carbon market: it accounts for just 2% of trade, most of which is contributed by South Africa and countries in North Africa through projects that fall under the world’s main carbon market, the Clean Development Mechanism. The ACMI hopes to dramatically increase that participation. It has developed a roadmap that identifies 13 action programmes to support the growth of voluntary carbon markets on the continent. These markets offer a space for governments, businesses, NGOs and private investors to purchase carbon offsets. There have been some green shoots in the African voluntary carbon market, with credit retirements growing by an average of 36% annually over the past five years. Stakeholders all agree that aggressive action will be required to maintain this level of growth in the coming decades. Several African states, including Kenya, Malawi, Gabon, Nigeria and Togo, have committed to collaborating with ACMI to scale their carbon credit production by activating voluntary carbon markets. Together and at their full potential, these countries could generate more than 300 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e); even as little as 75 MtCO2e) would amount to double the total credits issued across the entire continent in 2021. Vice President of Nigeria and ACMI steering committee member Professor Yemi Osinbajo said: “Carbon markets can deliver tremendous benefits for Nigeria and for Africa—creating jobs, driving green investment, and reducing emissions. Nigeria is putting the groundwork in place today so that in subsequent years, carbon credits become a major industry that will benefit our people.” Vice President of Nigeria and ACMI steering committee member Professor Yemi Osinbajo. This year, Gabon, which has 90 per cent forest cover, became the first African state to receive payment for protecting its forests. The UN-backed Central African Forests Initiative (Cafi) paid 17 million US dollars to Gabon as part of a 150 million US dollar deal, inked in 2019. This move is meant to incentivise other forested nations to double up on conservation efforts as their rainforests suck out most of the world’s carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. bird story agency.

Leah Namugerwa, 18, did not mince her words when addressing COP27’s World Leaders Summit: no more rhetoric, it’s time to leave a positive legacy. Kate Okorie, bird story agency When Leah Namugerwa turned 15 in 2019, she planted 200 trees to celebrate her birthday. Her idea blossomed into something far bigger: by 2020, she’d planted 7500 trees and encouraged many others to mark their birthdays similarly. So it’s no wonder that an image of a smiling Namugerwa holding a plant was displayed on a giant LED screen as she stood to address the opening ceremony of COP27’s World Leaders Summit. Leah Namugerwa, Uganda’s ‘birthday trees’ activist. The 18-year-old Ugandan activist chided the leaders gathered in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, saying their inaction in the face of climate change had forced young people like her “to grow, to act, to think like adults”. A year before her tree-planting work began, Namugerwa watched helplessly as fellow Ugandans died during landslides explicitly linked to climatic shifts: “These images have disturbed me and cannot allow me to rest until something is done about the changing climate.” She and three other young activists formed the Ugandan chapter of the Fridays for Future movement, “a youth-led and -organised movement that began in August 2018, after 15- year-old Greta Thunberg and other young activists sat in front of the Swedish parliament every schoolday for three weeks, to protest against the lack of action on the climate crisis”. Its mission resonated with the young Ugandans’ desire to draw their leaders’ attention to the disaster unfolding across the East African nation and the world. Namugerwa did not mince her words when addressing world leaders, making it clear that she and other activists were growing tired of empty promises and rhetoric. “We are not sure whether we are heard when we speak or (if) we are just ignored.” “Plants do not eat their own food; rivers do not drink their own water. I don’t see justice for young people when our rivers and lakes are polluted. I don’t see justice when the big polluters are untouchable. Is it justice for the world leaders to choose profit over lives?” In the latter part of her speech, she challenged her audience to consider the actions taken towards environmental justice today as part of their legacy: “Politicians, when you stand up to talk, my generation requests that (you act) …. because this is the only planet where we are going to carry on your legacy as your children.” bird story agency

The satellite prototype will be displayed at COP 27 in Sharm El-Sheikh Bonface Orucho, bird story agency. After years of research, the Africa Development Satellite Initiative, AfDev-Sat, will display its prototype satellite at COP 27 in Sharm El-Sheikh through the Egyptian Space Agency. Egypt announced plans to use the upcoming UN climate conference sessions to showcase the prototype, which has been in development since 2019. Egypt to launch first satellite for climate monitoring [Graphics: Hope Mukami] Revealing these plans in an address at a two-day engineers’ conference held on 22 October, Ahmed Farag, head of the Space Committee of the Syndicate of Engineers, described the development as one that would open up the possibilities of leveraging on space innovations to respond to floods, droughts and landslides caused by climate change. The AfDev-Sat initiative brings Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Sudan and Egypt in the pilot innovation to launch a satellite project that will aid disaster monitoring, climate change detection, and agriculture and water resources monitoring in African countries. AfDev-Sat initiative is steered by the Egyptian Space Agency. Egypt is also home to the African Space Agency, an organ of the African Union that deals with promoting, advising and coordinating the development and utilisation of space science and technology in Africa, aiming at using these to foster intra-African and international cooperation. A working document signed by the parties on 30 January 2022 during a progress meeting in Cairo, the latest meeting held by the members, indicates that “each satellite subsystem will be built in one of participating countries”, after which they will be assembled in Egypt. While satellite technology in climate action is in its preliminary stages in Africa, there are existing systems that can be leveraged to realise climate monitoring and prompt climate change detection. The Space Generation Advisory Council estimates that about 20 African satellites have been launched by African countries between 2016 and 2020, summing up to 41 satellites. Egypt, South Africa, Algeria, Nigeria, Morocco, Ghana, Sudan, Ethiopia, Angola, Kenya, Rwanda, and Mauritius have at least one satellite facility. South Africa was the first country to launch a locally-manufactured satellite in Africa in 1999. It recently launched three nanosatellites in January 2022 under the Maritime Domain Awareness Satellite (MDASat) program intending to use them to boost the security of South African marine resources. Ms Stella Chelangat Mutai, a Geospatial Information Science consultant for World Food Programme in the Southern and Eastern African region, describes the continent as one that “has a rich potential of using satellite technology in climate monitoring, especially with the increased discussions on areas of space partnership at continental and international levels.” “National space agencies, the meteorological departments, digital earth Africa and the regional centre for resource mapping and development are key players that have shown intention to be on-boarded in discussions on effective climate change monitoring in Africa,” she explains to Bird. Mutai believes an Africa-wide climate monitoring system using satellite technology can be attained through strengthened capacity and increasing international agreements for space-related resources. “Current policies driving the use of space technology require re-evaluation so that gaps can be bridged. This will certainly ensure streamlining of the policies to factor in climate monitoring.” Some vital continental units have prioritised capacity building in space technology data. On 31 October, for instance, the Africa Union Commission hosted Chinese astronauts in a facilitated dialogue bringing on board Chinese astronauts and space technology students from Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and South Africa. Yang Jun, representing the Chinese Ambassador in Namibia at the event, revealed that China and Namibia would be launching a partnership to establish a satellite digital-receiving ground station in Namibia. Continental-level collaborations can also facilitate the development of satellites purposely for climate monitoring due to the high costs of satellite development. “The African Development Satellite Initiative and other similar continent-level initiatives will facilitate pooling of resources and facilitate spreading of risks unlike each state working on their climate monitoring satellites individually,” Mutai says. bird story agency

The bird story agency's Seth Onyango takes a look at Africa's increasingly clean energy record. Seth Onyango, bird story agency By comparison with the rest of the world, African states tread lightly, responsible for just 3.3% of global carbon emissions – eight times less than Asia, Europe and North America. Each. In the words of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, it is the least responsible but pays the highest price. And while drought and floods and their attendant griefs will (and should) make a story at Cop-27, there’s one report card where the continent shines. The Mo Ibrahim Foundation's 2022 Forum Report, called The Road to Cop-27, shows that three in four countries have met their requirements to submit their Nationally Determined Contributions plan to cut emissions - even if these are low. Who takes the best carbon action report card to Cop-27? Africa does. [Graphics: Hope Mukami] There is still a challenge to align these with national development plans, the report has found, but the continent has displayed more political will to cut emissions than many countries in other regions. There is also a much higher accession rate to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13 – which deals with a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) - in Africa compared to North America or the EU. The Forum Report shows that clean energy provision is improving. But there are still 600 million people on our continent without a reliable and efficient source of energy, so the road is long. Still, the Foundation spotlights a steady rise in public investment in renewable forms of energy by African states, where between 2010 and 2019, it tripled from US$ 13.4 billion to US$ 47.0 billion. The report finds that 22 African countries use renewables as their main electricity source, with eight generating over 90 per cent of their power from renewable sources. These are: Central African Republic (96.3 per cent), DR Congo (98.9 per cent), Eswatini (99.8 per cent), Ethiopia (100.0 per cent), Lesotho (99.9 per cent), Mozambique (95.4 per cent), Namibia (91.0 per cent) and Uganda (97.7 per cent). According to the International Energy Association’s Africa Energy Outlook 2022 report, clean energy will account for a significant part of generating capacity additions by 2030. "Solar PV leads the way, with 125 GW of capacity to be added between 2021 and 2030, over 40 per cent of total capacity additions," the Energy Outlook report states. Currently, Africa’s abundant sunshine provides only one per cent of the world’s installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity, despite being home to 60 per cent of the best solar resources globally. "Of the top 20 per cent of solar sites globally, Africa is home to around 60 per cent of them by land area... the projected average rate of solar PV capacity additions is roughly equal to that of India in recent years," the global energy association finds in its Sustainable Africa Scenario. "Renewables, including solar, wind, hydropower and geothermal account for over 80 per cent of new power generation capacity to 2030 in the Sustainable Africa Scenario." This scenario sketches an optimal energy solution. Solar PV, already the cheapest source of power in many parts of the continent, should win out over other energy sources continent‐wide by 2030, says the IEA. There are blobs of optimism everywhere. The Mo Ibrahim Foundation reports that in Namibia, almost one-fifth of electricity (19.1 per cent) is generated through solar, the fourth highest share globally. In Kenya, geothermal energy accounts for almost half (46.0 per cent) of electricity generation, more than any other country in the world. Meanwhile, 21 of the 52 countries using hydropower as the primary source of electricity are African. But in the 22 African countries that use renewables as their primary source of electricity, access to electricity remains limited, with only Gabon having over 90 percent access to electricity. In 16 of the 22 countries, more than half the population still lack electricity, highlighting both an energy landscape of deep need but also one of enormous potential. In June 2020, finance giant, Goldman Sachs projected in a report entitled “Carbonomics” that spending for renewable power projects in 2021 will surpass upstream oil and gas for the first time in history. The Mo Ibrahim Foundation report shows South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Morocco and Kenya are building clean energy economies that will attract billions of dollars in investment over the next decade. Investments by domestic and global businesses are being made in renewable and low-carbon infrastructure. Rwanda wants to generate 60 percent of its energy needs from renewables come 2030. Six African countries – Egypt, Kenya, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, and South Africa – launched the African Green Hydrogen Alliance in May 2022, to promote the production of hydrogen using clean energy. The gas is a potential replacement for natural gas and European countries are investing heavily in future production in parts of Africa where clean energy sources are also abundant. The alliance plans to foster collaboration between its founding members to advance green hydrogen development in their respective countries. The challenge of distribution networks, however, remains. For every US$10 invested in the African energy sector since 2015, just over US$1 went on transmission and distribution. More than a decade ago, at COP15, developed nations decided to commit to a goal of jointly mobilizing US$100 billion a year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries. In 2020, just over US$80 billion was raised. At the United Nations earlier in 2022, US President Joe Biden announced America would increase its international climate finance contribution to US$ 11.4 billion per year by 2024 to help developing nations fend off the worst impacts of global warming. This, together with Europe’s need to build an alternative energy source, may see investments into clean energy surge on the “clean” continent. bird story agency

The African Development Bank is looking to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to help green the continent’s infrastructure boom amid rapid population growth and demand for housing. Steve Umidha, bird story agency The African Development Bank’s (AfDB) infrastructure fund, Africa50, has set its sights on ramping up investments to green the continent’s construction boom amid soaring demand for housing. The fund, set up to bridge the continent’s infrastructure finance gap, has now committed itself to spur sustainable building in African countries, with an initial US$500 million to be pooled from wealth funds. Speaking on the sidelines of COP27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, Alain Ebobissé, Africa50’s Chief Executive Officer, said the programme will be Africa-led, with the money to be invested in climate-friendly developments in the power and energy sectors. Alain Ebobissé, the Chief executive officer (CEO) of Africa50 at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Friday, November 9, 2022. The event has been heralded as "Africa's COP" . (Photo : Seth Onyango, bird story agency) “This is an African-led initiative, where we are bringing regional and global partners to work with us, but the agenda is set by Africans,” said Ebobissé, a pan-Africanist and experienced infrastructure sector expert. “We are looking at investing in the African private sector.” He explained that a third of the multi-million-dollar kitty would be offered to global investors keen to develop infrastructure projects on the continent. The remaining two-thirds will be extended to African institutions and private sector players interested in similar infrastructure projects. Alain Ebobissé, the Chief executive officer (CEO) of Africa50 at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Friday, November 9, 2022. The event has been heralded as "Africa's COP" . (Photo : Seth Onyango, bird story agency) Partnership discussions are underway between Africa50 as the fund’s driver and bodies, including the African Union Commission and Africa’s sovereign wealth funds, among others. Though he would not offer specific timelines, Ebobissé said he was confident that the preliminary penning of tangible deals would occur “in the coming months”: “This is a changing narrative that we are talking about, but the agenda is set by us…we are, however, still working on fundraising but we are moving fast, but I am saying in a few months we will have a financial close for the initiative and then we can start spending the money.” Africa50 was set up in October 2021 by a consortium of African governments and the AfDB to help bridge the continent’s infrastructure funding gap. Its mandate, Ebobissé explained, is essentially to deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns for institutional investors looking for exposure to African infrastructure assets while playing a critical role in financing medium and large-scale infrastructure projects in Africa. It seeks to mobilise public and private sector finance and invest in infrastructure projects like transport and logistics, water and sanitation, and digital and social infrastructure. This focus is in keeping with global economy trends: US$90 trillion is set to be invested in sustainable infrastructure by 2030, according to estimates by the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate’s flagship New Climate Economy project. The funds will be channelled to initiatives that bolster green economic growth in several markets, most in Africa. Such sustainable infrastructure comes with specific requirements for investors: buildings must be fitted with solar panels, for example, and must be constructed using environmentally friendly concrete. Experts believe this infrastructure will bring many advantages – for instance, green roofs and tree-planting initiatives tied to sustainable construction projects could help reduce the urban heat island effect. bird story agency

Sandra Suubi, 32, is rallying against climate change through wearable installations made from various waste products. By Atieno Odera, bird Story Agency At the Climate Story Lab Africa 2022 edition, a woman dressed in a costume made with over 500 green plastic bottles struts onstage in a fully packed auditorium. Sandra Suubi, a Ugandan based visual and performing artist performing at The Climate Story Lab Africa. (Photo Credits : Sandra Suubi) “Kiragala Kiragala! Chetwagalo Kulagula! The energy is rising…filling up the air! Forests are burning…burning the green away! Swamps are flooding…plastics everywhere…” she sings dramatically. Her words charge the atmosphere as they bounce through the echoey walls. The audience is left at the edge of their seats. Kiragala, Luganda for green, is Sandra Suubi’s latest installation. Through this wearable sculpture, the socially conscious Ugandan artist calls on humanity to rethink the single use of plastic. For more than eight years, Suubi has been at the forefront of climate justice. Besides plastic repurposing, she also explores other themes around environmental sustainability. At the Climate Story Lab, she had two other presentations– The Blues and Olugoye Lwaffe. In The Blues, she painted a picture of how the production of denim jeans was hazardous to the environment, while her Olugoye Lwaffe wearable sculpture drew attention to the effects of second-hand clothing on the environment. Sandra Suubi, a Ugandan based visual and performing artist performing at The Climate Story Lab Africa. (Photo Credits : Sandra Suubi) “My aim is to create a one-acre long dress. At the Climate Story Lab 2022, in Nairobi, I was presenting only a quarter to highlight how each of the clothes that we individually and constantly buy compound over a period of time. My question to the people is ‘do you know how many clothes you buy per week, day, month, or year?’ We buy more clothes without thinking about what we already have,” said Suubi. “This piece is made of many clothes sewn together into one massive dress and allows many people to wear it, demonstrating that an individual action greatly affects everyone else wearing the dress.” In this presentation, Suubi challenged the audience to think twice before buying more clothes. Through her art and music, which she mainly performs in open places like markets, Suubi has influenced visible change in her community, demonstrating the influential role of art on the road to net zero. Sandra Suubi, a Ugandan based visual and performing artist posing for a picture. (Photo Credits : Sandra Suubi) “The response in different communities has been potent and humbling at the same time. I remember when I used to make the site-specific sculptures alone. I’d go to a community, collect what they considered trash together with them and we had learning sessions where we shared and experimented with the material to build sculptures. People always had so many questions and interest in the work and why we were doing it,” she said. “Now that I combine music with art, the response has been more impactful. The communities listen to the songs when I perform and see me wearing these sculptures made from found objects. Many times they never forget the message when put on a song,” said the award-winning artist. bird story agency.

These pictures are rights-cleared for republishing. Please credit bird story agency. World Trade Organisation Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Friday, November 9, 2022. The event has been heralded as "Africa's COP" . (Photo : Seth Onyango, bird story agency) Egypt Finance Minster Mohamed Maait giving his statement at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Friday, November 9, 2022. The event has been heralded as "Africa's COP" . (Photo : Seth Onyango, bird story agency) Africa Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina (left) and Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President, The Rockefeller Foundation (right) havinga conversation at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Friday, November 9, 2022. The event has been heralded as "Africa's COP" . (Photo : Seth Onyango, bird story agency) Kenya’s former prime minister and AU infrastructure envoy Raila Odinga at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Friday, November 9, 2022. The event has been heralded as "Africa's COP" . (Photo : Seth Onyango, bird story agency) World leaders at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Friday, November 9, 2022. The event has been heralded as "Africa's COP" . (Photo : Seth Onyango, bird story agency) Activists holding placades at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Friday, November 9, 2022. The event has been heralded as "Africa's COP" . (Photo : Seth Onyango, bird story agency) Former Bristish Prime Minister Tony Blair giving his statement at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Friday, November 9, 2022. The event has been heralded as "Africa's COP" . (Photo : Seth Onyango, bird story agency) Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President, The Rockefeller Foundation giving his statement at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Friday, November 9, 2022. The event has been heralded as "Africa's COP" . (Photo : Seth Onyango, bird story agency)

Egypt is emerging as a frontrunner in the race to establish Africa’s green hydrogen economy after securing a deal with Norway to build a 100MW plant at Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea –– setting the stage for the widespread rollout of clean hydrogen across the continent. Seth Onyango, bird story agency Green hydrogen is now central in Africa’s energy architecture as multilateral backing for the zero-carbon energy carrier intensifies to help turbocharge the continent’s power transition. Although various green hydrogen projects are underway in Africa, Egypt and Norway’s corporation is seen as a vote of confidence for the industry, which has struggled to attract sufficient funding. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and the Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Støre launched the project’s first phase on the sidelines of the COP27’s World Leaders Forum in Sharm El-Sheikh. El- Sisi was upbeat about the project, which will be built in partnership with the Norwegian energy behemoth Scatec, expected to drive sustainable growth in Egypt. He termed it “a practical model of investment partnership that stimulates sustainable economic development with a focus on the role of the national and foreign private sector besides the government’s role, working side by side in this fruitful sector.” Scatec has been a significant developer at Egypt’s massive Benban solar park in Upper Egypt’s Aswan, one of the largest solar farms worldwide with an installed capacity of 1.8GW. As efficient technology drives down the cost of producing green hydrogen, the North African state is working on a strategy to become a net export of clean fuel at the lowest price worldwide. Turning Africa into green hydrogen "El Dorado” fast-tracks at COP27 [Image source: Unsplash] The strategy, implemented in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Arab Union for Sustainable Development and Environment, seeks to help Egypt contribute eight per cent of the global hydrogen market. “Green hydrogen has become one of the most important solutions on the way toward a green economy during the coming years. It is an example where developing countries, including Egypt, are taking great steps. However, we still have to face challenges resulting from the tendency of some countries to back local green hydrogen in a way that decreases their production cost,” El-Sisi said. “This causes an imbalance in the global hydrogen market and contributes to undermining the competitiveness of the green hydrogen produced in developing countries compared to the developed countries.” Other African states are also slowly gravitating towards leveraging their rich renewable energy base to build green supply chains. Namibia plans to shell out US$9 billion to build a 5GW green hydrogen project at Tsau/Khaeb National Park and is set to make its maiden hydrogen production in 2026. The first phase will generate 2GW worth of renewable electricity, which will be upscaled to 5GW. The country is also said to have enormous potential for scaling up a green hydrogen industry, particularly vast unused spaces. High wind speeds in Namibia mean that wind power generation is profitable. South Africa, on the other hand, boasts 80 per cent of the global platinum group metals (PGMs) reserves that are used for green hydrogen production, giving it leverage.PGMs are used in the electrolysers needed to produce green hydrogen as a fuel, giving the nation an advantage in developing the green hydrogen value chain and being a key supplier in the global hydrogen market. Meanwhile, talks about the transport of green hydrogen are also taking shape, with states working on shared infrastructure to lower costs. According to NS Energy, collaboration on shared infrastructure is essential, especially concerning transboundary pipeline transport. Transporting hydrogen transport by pipeline is more cost-effective (roughly by a factor of ten) than electricity transport by cable. Typically, pipeline capacities (15-20 GW) are much larger than electricity cable capacities (1-4 GW). “So instead of transporting bulk electricity, it would be more cost-efficient to transport hydrogen. In addition, hydrogen, like natural gas, can be stored over seasons and can hence serve as a dispatchable source of bulk energy, a distinctive advantage over electricity,” according to NS Energy. “A trans-national hydrogen gas pipeline system is therefore required, enabling transport of hydrogen from the hydrogen production locations (with good renewable resources) to the demand sites.” bird story agency

South Africa's black mermaid is inspiring a new generation of ocean guardians. by Biénne Huisman, bird story agency "Do dolphins bite? Are there ancestors living under the water?" These are the sorts of questions Zandile Ndhlovu (34) answers during bi-monthly snorkelling excursions with kids from Langa, an informal settlement in Cape Town, South Africa. "I pick up the kids from their homes, normally four at a time… We learn about the challenges the ocean is facing, and we learn about what we're going to find in the water. Then we kit up, and we go explore," says Ndhlovu. With most of them, it's their first time seeing beneath the surface, so there's lots of fear. And then somewhere along the way, they calm down, and someone says: 'Look, it's a starfish!'" Ndhlovu understands this. She was born in Soweto in Johannesburg, nowhere near the ocean. She was 12 when she first saw the sea. "My mom's family was in the Eastern Cape [province]. They saved up and we went to East London, where I first saw the ocean." Zandile Ndhlovu the Black Mermaid posing for a picture. (Photo : Jacki Bruniquel) Her mostly land-based existence continued until 2016 when Ndhlovu, a corporate consultant, took a trip to Bali, where she fell in love with snorkelling. Three years later, free diving captured her heart. In 2020, she qualified as South Africa's first certified black free dive instructor through the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. Presently, she can hold her breath for four minutes and 15 seconds. She is training to reach six minutes by the end of the year. It's a remarkable achievement, but she still has a way to reach the global women's record of 18 minutes and 32 seconds. To date, Ndhlovu's free diving record is a depth of 35 metres. "The free-fall is amazing," she says. "From about 12 metres you become negatively buoyant and that means that without finning [with flippers] you just start dropping to the bottom of the ocean floor. What happens in this free-fall is that you feel like you expand. And, of course, you're wearing a lanyard and you're on a rope so there are no surprises." Zandile Ndhlovu the Black Mermaid snorkelling under water. (Photo : Jacki Bruniquel) Ndhlovu also founded the Black Mermaid Foundation in 2020, the culmination of her free diving qualification, through which she educates on the importance of ocean sustenance. "I hope to place a little bit of the ocean in each of these young bodies," she says of her lessons to pupils. "These kids, when they do subject choices one day, maybe they will choose marine biology. Maybe they will start partaking in ocean sports, right? While making the ocean accessible for wellness, it is also about creating a new generation of ocean guardians." Earlier this year, she turned her hand to filmmaking when she documented the sardine run at Port St Johns on South Africa's Wild Coast, highlighting the plight of poverty-stricken local ocean-facing communities for the conservationist streaming platform, WaterBear. When we speak, Ndhlovu is far away from her usual swathe of the Atlantic Ocean, with its kelp forests and sea lettuce beds. She is speaking from a hotel room in New York City, where she's just attended the 100 Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) recognition week for 2022, hosted at CNN's headquarters at Manhattan's Hudson Yards. At the glittering awards dinner, she met New York City mayor Eric Adams and was one of four MIPAD nominees selected to address the assembled crowd. Over Zoom, Ndhlovu bubbles with enthusiasm. "It has just been beyond mind-blowing hearing what other Africans are doing across the world," she says. "I love talking about changing narratives and protecting our planet. I'm an ocean person, so I always bring in the ocean. We find ourselves with climate change and our oceans changing. In Africa, we will feel it the most. A United Nations statement on climate action notes that rising greenhouse gas emissions are warming the ocean. The temperature change leads to ice-melting, sea-level rise, marine heatwaves, and ocean acidification." Commenting on oil giant Shell's controversial plans for seismic blasting along South Africa's Wild Coast, Ndhlovu says: "It's a duality, right? I am a black woman who comes from a tough past. And so, I recognise that there's a need for jobs, and this Shell exploration could lead to more jobs for poor people along the coast. But I also recognise the detriment of destroying the health of our oceans. The question is, how can we share this natural value with the local ocean-facing communities so that they see a physical, tangible benefit to the protection of our oceans? We want to protect our oceans, but how are we creating opportunities in the most vulnerable communities?" bird story agency

From toolkits to snacks, Africa's Gen Zs and Millennials are on the frontlines, creating awareness and inspiring action against climate change. 1. Kelo Uchendu: A voice for youths and children at “Africa’s COP” Kelo Uchendu leads policy developments at YOUNGO, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) youth and children constituency. Kelo Uchendu, the policy lead of YOUNGO, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) children and youth constituency. (Photo : Kelo Uchendu) The 26-year-old witnessed the effect of acid rain along the oil-rich Niger Delta, which provoked him to seek a solution to the health hazard caused by acidic aerosols from gas and refinery operations in the region. The young climate activist is responsible for ensuring the voices of children and youth are heard at COP 27 and is currently part of the team developing the Global Youth Statement to be presented at COP 27. One of his legacy projects is the Climate Change Act 2021, which reflects the commitment held by the Nigerian government to achieve net zero emissions by 2060. Alongside Nigerian lawmaker Samuel Onuigbo whom he contacted, the Climate Section Bill was passed. While acid rain continues to pose a health hazard to the residents of the Niger Delta, Uchendu believes a commitment to de-carbonisation of the energy sector will boost the country’s efforts to attain its emission reduction targets. *** 2. Sheryl Mboya: The law student offering “snacks” to eliminate plastics from the ocean 22-year-old Sheryl Mboya seeks to reduce and potentially eliminate the use of single-use plastic tableware, which ends up in the lakes and oceans, threatening marine life. Sheryll Mboya the innovator of 'snacksuit', edible utensils holding one of the edible utensils. (Photo Credits : GreenX Telemechanics Limited) The law student has invented, Snackuit –edible cups, plates and spoons that will substitute single-use plastic tableware tossed into trash bins at eateries, hospitals, offices, and at get-together spots after use. Due to waste management challenges, the plastics are channelled to large water bodies via rivers. She founded Green X Telemechanics Limited with Snackuit as its first product that has now appealed to Kenya Airways with commitment from the airline to replace its in-flight tableware with Sheila’s product. The non-chemical, toxic-free product is being tested for viability at the product quality level, market level and production cost management. However, her message about the opportunities offered by innovation and technology in environmental protection is clear. *** 3. Is Christine Wangari the next Wangari Maathai? Christine Wangari, in collaboration with Nairobi City Water & Sewerage Company and communities living along Sasumua Dam, on the shores of Sasumua River, a tributary of River Chania, is on a mission to increase tree cover. Christine Wangari and colleagues during a tree planting session. (Photo Credits : Christine Wangari) Human activities, especially farming practices, have significantly reduced water volumes in the Chania River. The drop in water volumes is already being felt at the household level as the water management service provider in the city is forced to ration the scarce resource. Similar woes have been witnessed in the Ndakaini dam, another source of city water supply. Wangari’s efforts are already registering a positive trend as water levels steadily recover. She runs the tree planting campaign through Multitouch, a nonprofit she founded in 2003, in the distribution of tree seedlings to the community and schools. Her conservation efforts have been acknowledged internationally, but she remains loyal to her campaigns, the 40 Billion Trees and One Million Jobs Initiative. *** 4. Fatna Ikrame El Fanne: Driving climate action Fatna Ikrame El Fanne is a young Moroccan climate action ambassador on a mission to spread climate awareness to fellow youth. Fatna Ikarame posing for a picture. (Photo Credits : Fatna Ikarame) The idea to incorporate fellow youths in her country in climate change awareness occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic. Alongside her friends, they founded Youth for Climate Morocco, a nonprofit youth-led initiative. She learnt about climate change from school, prompting her to realise an information gap, especially for the youths without a climate-related educational background. With an environmentalist sister by her side, Fatna now leads the group in developing and circulating digital campaign messages and petitions on climate action, besides holding peaceful protests and marches. The group also plants trees besides visiting learning institutions for public education. She bets on the youthful Moroccan population as having the potential to bolster climate action, especially in the quest to attain a transition to clean energy. *** 5. Rahmina Paulette: On a mission to save Africa’s largest freshwater lake Rahmina Paulette is a 16-year-old climate activist and conservationist leading a campaign under the Kisumu Environmental Champions. It’s through this nonprofit that she’s conserving Lake Victoria. Rahmina Paullete with fellow youth in a cleanup Exercise. (Photo Credits : Rahmina Paullete) Rising water volumes in the lake and water hyacinth are some of the issues she has witnessed firsthand at the lake, prompting her to take action. Further, uncontrolled disposal of used napkins, pads, and plastic waste poses a health hazard to the lake dependents and aquatic life. Her initiative has attracted over 100 youth, children as young as four-year-olds and some adults who participate in the cleanup activities and awareness campaign forums. After collecting the plastics, Paulette and her group take them to a nearby recycling facility and sometimes convert some usable plastics into decorations. The youth leader is also trying her hand at green entrepreneurship through Rahmina Paullete Eco products, a business that deals in cards, bags, books, mats, chairs, table coasters and hair bands made of hyacinth. *** 6. Ibrahim Muhammad Shamsuddin: The climate victim who became a climate champion Ibrahim Muhammad Shamsuddin was ten years old when their neighbourhood was flooded, leaving them as refugees and leading to the death of some of his friends. He believes they would not have suffered these effects had they had prior information. Muhammad Shansuddin giving a speech in one of the events. (Photo credits : Muhammad Shansuddin) At 28, he is pursuing information access to rural populations besides leveraging his educational background to develop solutions for his community’s energy needs. He leads the Break Free from Plastics Initiative and is also the regional coordinator for the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change. Alongside other youth, they have trained more than 7000 women on making briquettes from agricultural waste. The youth climate leader believes with increased awareness especially utilising local media, a higher percentage of the rural population will be on-boarded into clean energy use, a subject of great interest to him. *** 7. Anas Seko has a toolkit for a cleaner world Anas Seko is a Beninese youth climate ambassador determined to keep litter off the streets and beaches. Anas Seko posing for a picture. (Photo Credits : Anas Seko) The 27-year-old employs every modern method available to help him pass the message of environmental conservation and climate action. He is also a photographer and a communications professional, a background that makes his message more appealing. Seko also stages art shows and one-person performances, creates short movies and films, engages in advocacy and makes the best possible use of social networking opportunities. His legacy project was a mission to save Ganvie, a lake city built on stilts and the country’s critical tourist attraction point. The lake was threatened by pollution, but with Seko’s intervention, a successful de-pollution campaign was carried out on the lake. His new mission is “Mon Anniversaire Ma Patrie” (My Birthday, My Country). The initiative encourages individuals to volunteer for positive action during their birthdays. *** 8. Tafadzwa Kurotwi Malaika. The campus-based activist taking climate action to the streets Tafadzwa Kurotwi Malaika is a Zimbabwe-based youth leader and music enthusiast. Tafadzwa Kurotwi Malaika giving a speech in an event. (Photo Credits: Tafadzwa Kurotwi) Born and raised in Mashingu, in a marginalised community dependent on subsistence farming, she watched her family and her community’s farm produce dwindle every season. Her entry to campus exposed her to the internet, facilitating access to climate-change-related information. Campus-level networking made her create a music concert group alongside a group of music lovers, singers and dancers. However, her interest in creating and increasing climate-related awareness has sent her to convert the music concert group to the vehicle they use to propagate climate action and environmental conservation awareness. The group plants trees, cleans streets, and holds peaceful marches on campus and nearby Harare. Malaika and her group are researching available options that they can use to convert plastics to recyclable products. *** 9. David Samikwa: Struggling to save a mountain forest David Samikwa grew up in the Mulanje district in Malawi near Mt. Mulanje, witnessing how humans encroached on the mountain, especially for illegal tree cutting over the years for wood fuel. David Samikwa and a colleague planting seedlings in Mulanje district in Malawi. (Photo Courtesy : David Samikwa) Alarmed by the imminent threat to the mountain forest, Samikwa organised youths in the region to form a youth-led community initiative on a mission to reclaim the mountain forest. Tikambe Youth Organization plants trees, trains youth and women in briquette-making and organises cleanup campaigns in the nearby town centres. The group under Samikwa’s leadership boasts of planting more than 20000 tree saplings. Samikwa believes energy solutions will boost efforts to save the mountain forest as energy needs are high in the country. *** 10. Menia Chaphamtengo: The sports enthusiast scoring goals for climate action 22-year-old Menia Chaphamtengo is a hockey and tennis player from Malawi. The university student is a sports ambassador tasked to encourage youth in the University of Malawi and those from across the district to cultivate a sports culture. Menia Chaphamtengo watering tree seddlings. (Photo : Menia Chaphamtengo) Chaphamtengo is passionate about climate change awareness and is devoted to seeing an increase in climate awareness, especially among the youth. She has decided to integrate her position as a sports ambassador with climate change awareness promotion. She uses sporting events to speak to youths about the effects of climate change and their place in alleviating the impacts through adopting mitigation. She plans to lobby the government and leaders to support and facilitate tournaments with climate action-related clarion calls. *** 11. Beth Koigi: The social entrepreneur using Majik to create water out of thin air Beth Koigi is a Kenyan water innovator passionate about providing decentralised water service, especially for populations in arid and semi-arid regions. Beth Koigi making her presentation during Pitch @ Palace event. (Photo Courtesy : Beth Koigi) A company she co-founded, Majik Water, already provides about 200000 litres of this vital resource through the installed technology devices. The technology that has earned her global recognition and awards uses atmospheric water generators that transform air-borne moisture into clean drinking water. However, this rare innovation has been part of her long-standing passion for water accessibility from her campus days. She believes technology and innovation are the surest solutions to the water problem in Africa. *** 12. Anita Soina: The Spice Warrior and her Green War 22-year-old Anita Soina comes from the Maa communities of East Africa and has experienced firsthand drought growing up. She, however, doesn’t believe this should go on and has taken it upon herself to pursue climate actions that will ease the situation for her community through an organisation she founded, Spice Warriors. Anita Soina during the launch of her book "The Green War". (Photo Credits : Anita Soina) The use of complex terminologies when undertaking climate sensitisation is a gap she has identified, primarily affecting those with little environmental conservation information. She launched her book, “The Green War”, which is easy to understand. The book complements her online awareness activities thanks to her massive online following. Soina is also a political enthusiast and believes in public participation as a way of imparting knowledge. Through planting trees, she has engaged with many people allowing her to explain her greening agenda. Soina attempted her hand in politics in the recently concluded Kenyan election but lost. Her green party and her green agenda contributed immensely to increasing awareness of climate and environmental conservation. *** 13. ‘This is our challenge’: Ezekiel Nyanfor is stirring up Africa’s youth to climate activism Ezekiel Nyanfor believes in youth education and the need to increase climate awareness, with his primary target group being climate ambassadors across Africa. Ezekiel Nyafor posing for a picture. (Photo Credits : Ezekiel Nyafor) He is inspired by the belief that young people can solve the climate change riddle by keeping policymakers and countries in check. He founded the Liberian Youth for Climate Actions to succeed in his mission. He has used the organisation to network with young climate ambassadors in Liberia to develop, The Ambassadors’ Toolkit, a free online climate information resource that teaches youth about climate change. The toolkit, among other features, outlines the origin of climate change and its effects on agriculture and food resources and assesses the different climate policies and agreements. It also tells stories of activists who have impacted their societies through activism. The document is actively used in at least 5 African countries and the US to train young climate ambassadors. ***

President George Weah came into office against long-standing civil unrest and major socioeconomic challenges. To confront them, he launched a pro-poor agenda, with its key highlight being the provision of clean off-grid energy through solar. by Laymah Kollie, bird story agency As soon as he assumed office in 2018, Liberian President George Weah, a global soccer star, decided to embrace renewable energy as part of his bid to effect socio-economic transformation in his country. His goal, as outlined in his plan, was to "eradicate poverty amongst Liberians who had been traumatised by civil strife and improve economic growth while addressing climate change and infrastructural developments". To curb the high cost of off-grid solar energy products, Weah, in May 2022, issued an executive order suspending import tariffs on off-grid solar lighting appliances and other indirect solar energy products classified under the Liberian Revenue Code. This was in line with his commitment to enhancing renewable energy by factoring funding into the budget and encouraging donor support in the sector. How green is my President? Liberia's George Weah is leading the shift to clean energy [Graphics: Hope Mukami] The Liberian civil crisis, which occurred from 1990-2003, led to the destruction of electric power infrastructure, property, and national development deterioration, plunging the country into "intense darkness." Weah embarked on a major street lighting programme in Monrovia and other urban areas. In 2021, he oversaw the installation of 10,000 Solar street lights and commissioned a 5.2MW solar power plant in Grand Bassa, Lofa, Margibi, Grand Kru, Bong and Bomi counties. The drive not only took an estimated 26,000 residents out of the darkness but economically empowered them to go about their business in a secure environment. He also launched the Liberia Renewable Energy Access Project in Kolahun district, Lofa county, with support from World Bank. The project was part of the initiative to decentralise electricity production by constructing a 2.5MW hydropower plant plus a 1.8MW diesel facility backup. It will also produce 115km of 33kVT&D network and services connections. When completed, it is expected to provide electricity to more than 50,000 people, including associations, businesses and public institutions in the country. Liberia's 2008 census report put the country's population at 3.5 million, with Monrovia constituting 29 per cent of the total population. Though there has not been any census since then, World Bank statistics project that Liberia's population is about 5 million. Currently, Weah's administration, through the Monrovia Consolidation of Electricity Transmission and Distribution (Light up Monrovia), is providing electricity to approximately 45,000 households and more than 50 communities in Central Monrovia and its surroundings. According to the Liberia National Electrification Consolidation Report, the country with a land area of 114,000 square kilometres has approximately 140MW of Power Supply, with more than an estimated 1.5 million people having access to electricity in Liberia– this translates to 23 per cent of the country's households. According to www.macrotrends.net, in 2020, Liberia had 27.53 per cent access to power, an increase of 4.43 per cent from 2019. This is thanks to efforts by the Weah administration, which has emphasised off-grid programmes tapping on solar, a clean and renewable energy source. Solar energy and hydropower provide the bulk of Liberia's power. The government's efforts are complemented by civil society actors and politicians, who provide solar street lights to communities that lack access to electricity in rural and urban areas. John Nyemah Natt Jr, a Liberian scientist and climate action expert, commends Weah's commitment to renewable energy but says more can be done: "He's doing well in addressing the urgent need for electricity in the country. Solar energy is good and reliable when there is more sunlight and less rainfall because solar radiation needs sunlight to be effective. But right now we are experiencing a hurricane that is giving us more rainfall than sunlight, and the solar light will not be more reflective as it should be. From my research, ocean renewable energy is the best and most substantial energy Liberia can use, " he said. According to Henbrix T Saah, a professor of environmental studies at Monrovia's Cuttington University, the role of the president is key to galvanising the youth and getting them to embrace clean energy. "Having the president take the lead in achieving renewable energy in the country is great. It serves as an encouragement for young people to join the effort for us to achieve clean energy." With Liberia's economy beginning to rebound from the 2019 Covid-19 shock and projected to grow at 4.2 per cent from a low of 3.3 per cent in 2020, the need for sustainable and renewable energy sources is even more urgent. And Weah's green agenda, expressed through renewable energy sources, might be just the "magic bullet" the country needs. bird story agency