PRESS RELEASE

Africa LEDS Partnership Members Reaffirm Shared Ambition Towards Low-Emission Energy and Agriculture Systems in Africa

April 21, 2021 (ONLINE)

In association with the Leaders Summit on Climate Change hosted by President Biden (April 22-23), the Africa LEDS Partnership today reaffirmed the shared ambition of its African members to accelerate transitions to net zero emission and resilient agricultural and energy systems across Africa. This builds on the current Africa LEDS Partnership communities of practice on low emission agriculture and energy systems which engage officials and experts from 17 African countries. This expanded effort will work with country participants to develop shared goals and tailored national pathways that that prioritize climate actions that have multiple benefits for both the economy and people’s lives and livelihoods and support inclusive economic recovery and green growth. And it will mobilize technical and peer-based support for countries to plan and implement ambitious actions aligned with these pathways.

“I strongly support the work of the Africa LEDS Partnership in achieving equitable and net-zero emission energy and agriculture systems that can support inclusive economic recovery and green growth. This will have positive impacts on vulnerable societies in sub-Saharan Africa, where COVID-19 has had especially adverse effects on energy access and food security, which were existing problems before the pandemic.” (John Yeboah, Ghana Energy Commission and senior AfLP representative)

With support from the governments of the United States and Germany, the LEDS Global Partnership (LEDS GP) and Africa LEDS Partnership (AfLP) will deliver technical assistance for the activities of this coalition. This includes expanding support for development of shared visions and national implementation pathways and NDC planning, technical assistance for implementation of actions and workforce development, knowledge exchange on innovative solutions, and mobilization of investment.

As the regional nexus for LEDS GP in Africa, the AfLP brings together representatives from governments, civil society and the private sector working to advance low emission development strategies across the continent and works to address LEDS priorities and challenges specific to Africa through peer-to-peer learning and regional collaboration. This work is implemented through focused communities of practice on energy and agriculture systems, which provide technical collaboration platforms for practitioners from over 17 countries in Africa.

The LEDS GP is a global accelerator of knowledge and solutions that lead the way to climate resilient and low-carbon development. It is a platform driven by climate leaders in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean that enables collaborative and ambitious climate action, peer learning and innovation. The LEDS GP fosters country leadership and regional communities that enable the transformational changes needed for low-carbon and climate-resilient development.

For more information, please contact the AfLP Secretariat at: africasecretariat@ledsgp.org.