Africa goes green: $4.2B alliance to supercharge renewables
An international renewable energy alliance has mobilised $4.2 billion to expand clean power access across Africa, a move seen as critical to closing the continent’s energy gap and advancing the global clean energy transition.
The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), launched in 2021 by The Rockefeller Foundation, IKEA Foundation, and the Bezos Earth Fund, said the financing will support projects such as scaling solar mini-grids in Nigeria and retraining former coal workers in South Africa.
The alliance collaborates with both public and private partners to finance renewable energy initiatives across the African continent. Woochong Um, CEO of GEAPP, noted that with aid budgets under pressure, there is a growing need for new models capable of delivering development at scale.
“With aid budgets under pressure, we need new models to deliver development at scale”.
Africa is home to 600 million people without access to electricity, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Despite abundant renewable resources, from solar and wind to hydro and geothermal, investment has lagged due to high financing costs, limited affordable capital, and fragmented infrastructure.
GEAPP’s latest report highlights that addressing both supply and demand in planning is key to building a robust green economy. Analysts say the $4.2 billion mobilisation, alongside a broader $100 billion green investment pledge secured by African nations at the 2025 Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa, could be a turning point for the continent’s energy transition.
This development positions Africa to not only tackle its urgent development needs but also to play a central role in the global fight against climate change, and help the continent leapfrog into a renewable-powered future and sustainability.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
