German, African NGOs demand more equitable, climate-friendly energy partnership

Germanwatch is calling for greater support for Africa’s energy transition as the continent continues to provide raw materials for Europe’s green transformation. An upcoming meeting between European Union and African Union foreign ministers on Wednesday (21 May) underscores the significance of energy and economic partnerships between the two blocs. While many African countries possess critical raw materials for the energy transition, they benefit little from their processing, Germanwatch noted.

"Africa must not merely be a supplier of raw materials for Europe's green future,” said Kerstin Opfer, Germanwatch’s energy policy and civil society advisor in Africa. “Regional value creation, technology transfer and fair participation along global supply chains are needed. Only in this way can we create equitable economic structures that integrate climate, human rights and development."

Describing the meeting as a key opportunity to shape the energy partnership between Europe and Africa, Kentebe Ebiaridor, coordinator at Oilwatch International, said it was crucial that access to clean energy for all be a top priority and that fossil fuel dependencies were not further cemented. "Implementing the goals of the penultimate UN Climate Change Conference – in particular, tripling renewable energy, doubling energy efficiency and phasing out fossil fuels worldwide – as well as ensuring access to renewable energy for all must be at the heart of the AU-EU agenda."

While international civil society organisations agree on the need for fair economic partnerships and climate-friendly industrialisation, they took a critical stance against EU member states that support fossil fuel projects in Africa, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG).

"This continued support for fossil fuel projects, directly or indirectly, contradicts the EU's climate goals and jeopardises a just energy transition in Africa," warned Dean Bhebhe, senior just transitions advisor at Power Shift Africa. "We call on the EU to send a clear signal: no new investments in fossil fuels – instead, support partnerships that focus on locally anchored, equitable and renewable energy access."

Germany and the EU have played key roles in major international energy agreements, including Just Energy Transition Partnerships with South Africa, Indonesia and Vietnam. Germany in 2023 announced investments of up to four billion euros in sustainable energy projects in Africa until 2030 to help improve the continet’s role in renewable power, green hydrogen and critical raw material extraction. At the same time, Germany has turned to Africa as new a supplier of LNG in the wake of its loss of Russian gas due to the war on Ukraine.