25 May 2021

Decarbonising Africa’s grid electricity

In July 2020, we published our Climate Change Strategy setting out an ambitious plan to achieve net zero emissions across our portfolio by 2050. Our recently published Fossil Fuel Policy excludes new investment in the vast majority of fossil fuels, and we will only make investments in gas-fired power stations in cases where it aligns with a country’s pathway to net zero emissions by 2050 (as set out in our Guidance on Natural Gas Power Plants).

So why do we believe this is the right approach? How does it balance our support for countries in their pathway to net zero, and as they tackle human development needs such as increasing energy access, reducing poverty and improving living standards to meet the SDGs?

This report, ‘Decarbonising Africa’s grid electricity generation’, examines the technological and cost considerations that will affect the pace of decarbonisation in centralised electricity grids, alongside Africa’s crucial energy access and economic development goals. If you would like to dig deeper into the topics covered in this report, then take a look at this blog from our Director of Research and Policy, Paddy Carter.