The 5th edition of the meeting organized by the young people of EU-AU cooperation was a real success with the theme “Breaking down borders: the energy transition at the heart of relations between Europe and Africa”. This meeting took place on June 10 in Strasbourg, and the Deputy Minister of Primary, Secondary and Technical Education (EPST), Aminata Namasia represented the government of the DRC on this occasion.
According to the Deputy Minister, one of the greatest development challenges for the African continent is the energy sector which is vital for socio-economic prospects, improved livelihoods and access to opportunities. Indeed, over 700 million people still cook with traditional biomass and energy demand in Africa has been growing at an annual rate of around 3%, becoming the highest in the world.
Furthermore, the crisis in Ukraine has also had an impact on the global energy sector, including on the African continent. Although Africa has significant untapped fossil fuel reserves, including recent discoveries of natural gas, climate change is a real challenge.
According to Aminata Namasia, the current energy model of relations between Europe and Africa does not seem sustainable. Indeed, on the one hand, Europe depends on non-renewable fossil fuels to maintain its development and, on the other hand, part of the economy of African countries is based on the exploitation of non-renewable energies. To achieve a sustainable energy transition, it therefore recommends increasing bilateralism between Europe and Africa.
The resources available on the African continent, such as cobalt, gas, lithium, nickel, copper and many others, should make it possible to support the energy transition of European countries without hindering the development of African countries, which partly dependent on fossil fuel exports.
By way of conclusion, the Deputy Minister’s recommendation to find a balance between European and African energy policies for a sustainable energy transition deserves to be studied by the various players in the sector. Indeed, this transition should not penalize African countries, but should rather support them towards development that respects the environment and is sustainable.