Can Africa's contested energy futures create opportunities for enhancing EU-African-European relations?

This policy brief examines the tension between fossil fuel development and renewable energy transitions in Africa, highlighting the geopolitical competition between China's Belt and Road Initiative and the EU's 'green transitions' strategy. It argues that for the EU to effectively partner with African nations, it must shift its framing from climate change to energy security and economic development, while promoting transparency and social innovation to avoid foreign exploitation and 'debt traps'.

• African energy priorities are centered on energy security, economic development, and job creation rather than climate change. Framing dialogues around climate change can lead to political deadlocks, whereas focusing on industrialisation and access is more aligned with the agendas of African and European nations.
• China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) actively promotes coal-fired power plants in Africa as a way for Chinese coal industries to find foreign markets while China decarbonises domestically. This has resulted in coal-fired plant investments across 11 African countries in 34 projects.
• The European Union's strategy for 'green transitions' in Africa is undermined by the actions of powerful European multinational companies that continue to dominate the exploration of fossil fuel resources on the continent.
• South Africa is the dominant coal power producer in Africa, accounting for 75% of the continent's coal power energy generating capacity. Approximately 90% of South Africa's electricity is generated from its coal-based energy sector.
• Civil society can significantly influence energy decision-making, as seen in Kenya where resistance from residents and environmental organisations halted a Chinese-financed coal plant project on the island of Lamu.
• To enhance EU-African relations, the EU should move beyond simple technology transfer toward 'social innovation', ensuring that the benefits of renewable energy are shared inclusively to prevent technologies from being stigmatised or left unused.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2020). Can Africa's contested energy futures create opportunities for enhancing EU-African-European relations? https://saiia.org.za/research/can-africas-contested-energy-futures-create-opportunities-for-enhancing-eu-african-european-relations/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Can Africa's contested energy futures create opportunities for enhancing EU-African-European relations? 2020. https://saiia.org.za/research/can-africas-contested-energy-futures-create-opportunities-for-enhancing-eu-african-european-relations/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Can Africa's contested energy futures create opportunities for enhancing EU-African-European relations? |date=23 September 2020 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/can-africas-contested-energy-futures-create-opportunities-for-enhancing-eu-african-european-relations/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2020can, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Can Africa's contested energy futures create opportunities for enhancing EU-African-European relations?}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/can-africas-contested-energy-futures-create-opportunities-for-enhancing-eu-african-european-relations/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }