Africa Practice (AP) and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote sustainable energy solutions across Africa and tackle climate challenges.
Richard Kiplagat, director at Africa Practice announced the partnership during the Global Africa Hydrogen Summit in Windhoek, Namibia.
“This partnership builds on the Environmental Defense Fund’s long history of effective collaboration globally and locally and commitment to turn science into action to stabilise the climate,” said Mark Brownstein, senior vice president for EDF.
“We look forward to working with Africa Practice to help put sound science at the heart of Africa’s energy and climate policy discourse and to focus on two immediate action areas: cutting climate-warming methane emissions from Africa’s oil and gas sector and getting its emerging hydrogen systems right,” he added.
According to Brownstein, the MOU aims to support a successful energy transition in Africa by accelerating the reduction of methane emissions from the oil and gas sector while ensuring that new green hydrogen projects achieve their potential as climate solutions.
Some of the objectives of the MoU include; elevating climate policy discourse, amplifying African voices, methane abatement strategy and stakeholder engagement.
Richard Kiplagat, managing director of East Africa said, “This MoU with the Environmental Defense Fund marks a significant step in our commitment to driving sustainable development in Africa. Green hydrogen is poised to be a significant catalyst for Africa’s sustainable development.
“This clean energy carrier offers immense potential to transform Africa’s energy landscape, drive economic growth, and contribute significantly to global decarbonization efforts,” Kiplagat, who is also the group chief commercial officer at Africa Practice, said further.
He added that by combining local expertise with EDF’s global experience, the organisation was in a unique position to make a real impact on climate policy and action across the continent.
According to the International Energy Agency Methane Tracker for 2024, the aggregate methane emissions from Africa’s Oil & Gas sector were approximately 9,200 kilotons in 2023; this equates to 67 percent of all energy sector methane emissions for the region.
The agency noted that methane poses severe health risks as high-emitting companies and processes pollute the air, often in areas where marginalised communities live and work.
The announcement of the MoU at the Global Africa Hydrogen summit underscores the growing importance of collaborative efforts in addressing climate challenges and shaping the future of clean energy in Africa.
