How to Ensure that the AfCFTA Propels Africa’s Green Transition

This executive summary, published by the Africa Policy Research Institute (APRI) and the Heinrich Böll Foundation, analyzes how the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can be leveraged to support Africa's green transition. It argues that while the AfCFTA agreement contains minimal environmental references, it can be adjusted to eliminate trade barriers for environmental goods and services. The document emphasizes the need for a phased decarbonization approach for fossil-fuel-dependent nations and recommends that development partners increase climate financing and align initiatives like the European Green Deal with African realities to avoid duplicating existing continental climate strategies.

• The AfCFTA agreement, which began in January 2021, is projected to increase intra-African trade by approximately 33%, potentially lifting 30 million people out of extreme poverty by 2035. Manufacturing is expected to grow from USD 500 billion to USD 1 trillion by 2025, and trade in agricultural products is forecast to rise by 20 to 30 percent.
• Although the AfCFTA has few environmental references, it could be modified to support climate action by adopting the approach of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA). This would involve removing tariffs and non-tariff barriers for environmental goods and services, potentially covering up to 304 product lines across 10 sectors.
• Decarbonization of energy and transportation is critical for the green transition, but countries heavily reliant on fossil fuels for power or exports—specifically Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe—require a phased approach over several decades and increased technical and financial support from partners.
• Adding a specific Environmental Protocol to the AfCFTA is deemed suboptimal due to past implementation failures and the existence of other frameworks. Instead, the document suggests reinforcing existing initiatives like the Africa Climate Change Strategy and Africa’s Green Recovery Action Plan (2021–2027), and preparing a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the AfCFTA.
• Development partners, including the EU and US, are urged to increase climate financing via grants and concessional loans, align the European Green Deal with African needs, and support circular economy initiatives like the African Circular Economy Alliance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

APA

Manduna, C., & Fundira, T. (2022). How to Ensure that the AfCFTA Propels Africa’s Green Transition. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/how-to-ensure-that-the-afcfta-propels-africas-green-transition

Chicago

Manduna, Calvin, and Taku Fundira. How to Ensure that the AfCFTA Propels Africa’s Green Transition. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2022. https://afripoli.org/how-to-ensure-that-the-afcfta-propels-africas-green-transition.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Manduna |first1=Calvin |last2=Fundira |first2=Taku |title=How to Ensure that the AfCFTA Propels Africa’s Green Transition |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=5 May 2022 |url=https://afripoli.org/how-to-ensure-that-the-afcfta-propels-africas-green-transition |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{manduna2022how, author = {Manduna, Calvin and Fundira, Taku}, title = {{How to Ensure that the AfCFTA Propels Africa’s Green Transition}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://afripoli.org/how-to-ensure-that-the-afcfta-propels-africas-green-transition}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }