The European Investment Bank (EIB) participated in the annual Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue on 16 and 17 March 2021. This year’s theme focused on the transition towards climate neutrality, an emergency Europe is facing while the COVID-19 crisis is still gripping the world.
Dr Werner Hoyer, President of the EIB, participated on the session “On the Road to an African-European Energy Partnership”.
The Africa – EU partnership is one of the key priorities of the EU Commission. The EIB is one the major investors for sustainable infrastructure in Africa. As close neighbours, the two continents have massive opportunities for cooperation, especially in the field of energy, and not only in solar, but in all renewable energy technologies. The African continent is set to experience strong economic and population growth within the next decade and it is in both continents’ interest to steer that economic growth towards a green transition.
At the same time, the lack of access to clean energy is still considered the biggest obstacle to economic and social justice. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the growing urgency of the climate crisis show at the same time how interdependent Africa and Europe are. This panel explores ways to strengthen the partnership between Africa and Europe and the role of the EIB and solar energy.
The panel discussion featured:
- Dr Amani Abou-Zeid, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, African Union, Ethiopia
- Dr Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank (EIB)
- Dr Ajay Mathur, Director General, International Solar Alliance (ISA), India
- Dr Mohamed Shaker El-Markabi, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Egypt
The panel was moderated by Dr Melinda Crane.