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

The document analyzes the intersection of the AfCFTA and climate action, arguing that while the agreement has minimal environmental references, it can be adjusted to eliminate barriers to environmental goods and services. It emphasizes the need for a phased decarbonization approach for fossil-fuel-dependent nations and suggests that instead of adding a new Environmental Protocol, existing continental climate strategies should be reinforced. The text calls for increased climate financing, technology transfer from partners like the EU and US, and the promotion of a circular economy to ensure that increased intra-African trade does not lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions.

• The AfCFTA can be modified to support climate goals by adopting an approach similar to the WTO Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA), specifically by removing tariffs and non-tariff barriers for environmental goods and services to foster green value chains.
• Decarbonization of energy and transportation is critical for the green transition, but countries heavily reliant on fossil fuels for power or exports—including Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe—require a phased transition over several decades.
• Adding a specific Environmental Protocol to the AfCFTA is deemed suboptimal due to historical implementation challenges and the risk of duplicating existing frameworks such as the Africa Climate Change Strategy and Africa’s Green Recovery Action Plan (2021–2027).

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} }