AfDB hits 100% investment in renewable energy

The African Development Bank (AfDB) achieved a 100 per cent investment in renewable energy in 2017.
According to the President of the bank, Akinwumi Adesina, it is a major landmark in the commitment to clean energy and efficiency.
Power generation projects with a cumulative 1,400 megawatts exclusively from renewables were approved during the year, with plans to increase support for renewable energy projects in 2018 under the New Deal on Energy for Africa.
Adesina said: “We are clearly leading on renewable energy. We will help Africa unlock its full energy potential, while developing a balanced energy mix to support industrialisation. Our commitment is to ensure 100% climate screening for all Bank-financed projects.’’
The share of renewable energy projects as a portion of the Bank’s portfolio of power generation investments increased from 14 per cent in 2007-2011, to 64 per cent in 2012-2016.
Renewable energy
The Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) whose goal is to deliver 300 Gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy in 2030 and 10 GW by 2020, is now based within the Bank, as requested by African Heads of State and Government.
The G7 has promised to commit US$10 billion to support the initiative, which came out of COP21 and subsequently approved by the African Union.
On November 8, 2017, the African Bank Group approved its Second Climate Change Action Plan, 2016-2020 (CCAP2) as a clear message of its commitment to helping African countries mobilise resources to support the implementation of the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions of regional member countries, in ways that will not hinder development.
The approval of the action plan echoes discussions at COP23 in Bonn, Germany, to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change and achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping global temperature rises to 1.5C.
The CCAP2 is designed to incorporate the Bank’s High 5 priorities in the Paris Agreement, the 2030 development agenda, the Bank’s Green Growth Framework and the lessons learned in the implementation of the first climate change action plan (CCAP1), 2011-2015.
As part of its wider mandate under the New Deal on Energy for Africa, the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank, on December 15, 2017, approved an investment of US $20 million in the Evolution II Fund −a Pan-African clean and sustainable energy private equity fund.
The Bank’s investment in Evolution II Fund reflects the High 5 development priorities of the Bank, the agenda to light up and power Africa, and the Bank’s commitment to promote renewable energy and efficiency in Africa.