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The West Africa Utilities Roundtable identified four primary obstacles to establishing reliable, low-carbon energy systems in the region: energy system inefficiencies (technical and commercial losses), challenges in integrating variable renewables energy (VRE), lack of financial sustainability, and aging infrastructure. To address these, the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is conducting research on the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) across 48 African countries to attract investment and reviewing energy transition models to ensure a broader range of technologies and socio-economic factors are considered in Africa-focused research.

The document outlines the challenges and opportunities in coordinating climate, security, and humanitarian actions, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected settings. It highlights gaps in interagency coordination, the limitations of short-term planning cycles, and the inadequacy of current international financial institution funding mechanisms for volatile regions. The briefing emphasizes the need for disaggregated data, inclusive case studies, and the integration of humanitarian 'demand signals' into security analysis to improve long-term resilience and prevent maladaptation.