On 4-6 September, the Kenyan government hosted the first-ever Africa Climate Summit, which concluded with the release of the African Leaders Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change and Call to Action. The Summit gathered around 20,000 delegates including grassroots, and frontline activists to represent the voice of civil society.

As part of the renewable energy debates with experts in the universities,  the Renewable Energy Coalition (REC) members in Benin Republic organised on 23 September a session to highlight the key outcomes of the Africa Climate Summit and the need to massively scale up renewable energy in Africa.

The session took place at the national university of Benin and gathered around fifty young people, journalists, civil society organisations and experts from the ministry of environment. The organisers highlighted some of the positive notes from the African Leaders Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change:

• Accelerate all efforts to reduce emissions to align with goals set forth in the Paris Agreement
• Honor the commitment to provide $100 billion in annual climate finance, as promised 14 years ago at the Copenhagen conference.
• Uphold commitments to a fair and accelerated process of phasing down coal, and abolishment of all fossil fuel subsidies.

Then, they reiterated the  will to see more efforts from the African Leaders to increase renewable energy capacity on the continent to address Africa’s energy needs and also to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Together, the participants sang the energy future they want in Africa that should connect to 100% renewable energy instead of being connected to fossil fuels. During the space dedicated for questions-answers, the organisers shared their plan ahead of Power Up to denounce the fossil fuels industry and call for the real Climate Solutions instead of the push for the false Solutions, and the additional funding needed to tackle the climate crisis. 

Anas Seko, 

Renewable Energy Coalition (REC), Benin