African leaders are stepping up on the global energy transition→ At the recent Kigali @SEforALLorg Forum, energy ministers agreed a 7-point vision to achieve a just & equitable energy transition. Lots to see here (esp #3). 🧵 /1
mininfra.gov.rw/updates/news-d… Item 3 is BIG. I’ll explain why below /2

It's not just US gas prices and German energy security. How will Russia's invasion of Ukraine impact Africa's energy transition? @KatieAuth & I suggest 7 ways for @CFR_org. Thread 👇 1/ cfr.org/blog/how-russi… 1. African leaders will increasingly frame energy poverty as an energy security issue deserving the same urgency 2/ foreignaffairs.com/articles/afric…

Omicron fear mongering is shameful and racist.

So is wrongly blaming Africa for future climate emissions. @vijramachandran & I explain in @ForeignPolicy. 🧵 1/
foreignpolicy.com/2021/12/06/afr… "As climate pledges pile up, a worrying theme is emerging that bold efforts by rich nations to decarbonize the global economy will be ruined by hordes of new consumers in the developing world... the focus of attention has now shifted to Africa." /2

Essential reading ahead of COP26 from Nigeria’s VP @ProfOsinbajo in @ForeignAffairs on Africa’s commitment to fighting climate change - while insisting the West meet them halfway on energy flexibility. Thread→ 1/

foreignaffairs.com/articles/afric… VP calls for Diversity: “While all countries must play their part in the fight against climate change, a global transition away from carbon-based fuels must account for the economic differences between countries and allow for multiple pathways to net-zero emissions.” /2

Climate arguments targeting Africa too often conflate mitigation & adaptation - and seem deliberately misleading. Latest salvo from @billmckibben @DianaNabiruma @OmarElmawi in @guardian attacking Ugandan oil pipeline is another sad example. Thread→ 1/
theguardian.com/global-develop… Let me start with the caveats that (a) I have no strong view on whether this specific pipeline is a project Uganda should pursue or not and (b) I’m fully aware of M7’s worrying trends. This isn’t about Uganda. 2/

I was excited to see African EVs in the WSJ. But this article is some next level white/green savior BS. Thread -->

wsj.com/articles/ev-el… Ok, first the positive. Yay to WSJ for writing about market and technology trends on the continent. It's annoying that this is still so unusual, but glad to see expanding coverage.

Now to the 4 big problems --> 2/

Amid all the Texas energy hot takes, I'll bet you didn't think there might be lessons for Africa's power future. @KatieAuth & I @energyforgrowth found 5. Quick thread-->
energyforgrowth.org/blog/what-the-… 1. We all need lots of reliable energy. Texas has 30m people and 125 GW installed capacity. Ghana has similar population but only 4GW. /2

Is Africa’s energy future renewable or locked into fossil fuels? A @NatureEnergyJnl paper, cited by @BBCNews, projects a massive boom in coal & gas-fired power - and calls for a blanket ban on DFI $. But here’s why IMO that’s dead wrong. THREAD→ /1
bbc.com/news/science-e… There’s no coal boom coming. They project ~22 GW of new coal by 2030. The real new coal is more like 0.1 GW. Or maybe at the very very very most ~3 GW. The projection is off by a factor of at least 7, probably more like 100+. /2 energyforgrowth.org/memo/coals-fut…

We have the colossal dual challenges to both decarbonize the global economy + provide modern energy for all. As we debate tactics, a little perspective on scale and equity--> 1/ If we tripled the electricity consumption overnight for every person living in African AND used only natural gas to do it, the total additional CO2 = ~1% global emissions. 2/