This bank is turning Africa into a climate investment opportunity
May 2, 2024
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Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, discusses how the bank is attracting investors to fund green projects in Africa. Topics include climate investments, solar panels in the Sahel, a hydroelectric dam in Mozambique, and making climate investments more appealing globally.
African Development Bank focuses 44% financing on climate projects to align economic growth with climate resilience.
Africa requires significant climate adaptation efforts with current funding falling short of needs.
African Development Bank prioritizes renewable energy projects, allocating 87% energy financing to renewables.
Deep dives
Africa's Economic Growth as Climate Resilience
Africa, home to vulnerable countries, faces the paradox of being both climate vulnerable and economically deprived. The African Development Bank, recognizing the need for economic growth to build resilience, devotes 44% of its financing to climate finance. By creatively utilizing financial instruments, the bank supports projects like reshaping wheat farming in Ethiopia and funding cyclone recovery in Malawi, aligning economic advancement with climate resilience.
Challenges and Solutions in Climate Adaptation Funding
Africa's disproportionate vulnerability to climate change, despite minimal historical emissions, necessitates significant adaptation efforts. While current climate funding falls short of Africa's needs, the African Development Bank responds by allocating 44% of its annual $10 billion financing to climate finance. Through initiatives like the $25 billion Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program, leveraging blended finance models to mobilize resources at scale is pivotal for effective climate adaptation.
Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Development in Africa
Africa's renewable energy potential, especially in solar and hydro projects, presents a vital opportunity for sustainable development. The African Development Bank prioritizes financing renewable energy projects, allocating 87% of energy financing to renewables. Projects like the Desert to Power initiative aim to construct solar power in the Sahel region to provide electricity for millions, highlighting Africa's role in the renewable energy transition and industrialization.
Blended Finance and De-risking Investments in Africa
To attract private capital to African projects, de-risking mechanisms and blended finance models are essential. The African Development Bank leverages partial risk and credit guarantees to support investments across sectors like infrastructure and energy. Through initiatives like the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa and the Africa Investment Forum, the bank accelerates the flow of investment, demonstrating the lower-than-perceived risks of investing in Africa.
Calls for Support and Innovative Financing Mechanisms
The African Development Bank seeks additional capital to scale its impact and support African development. By exploring innovative approaches like re-channeling Special Drawing Rights, the bank aims to unlock substantial resources for climate resilience and infrastructure. Emphasizing the importance of paid-in capital, callable capital, and blended finance instruments, the bank advocates for increased support to address Africa's development challenges and encourage private sector investment.
Africa currently loses between $7 billion and $15 billion a year because of climate change. If that trend continues, the sum could reach $50 billion by 2030. But African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina sees a way forward. He describes the financial instruments the bank is using to encourage investors to fund green development projects across the continent. Adesina talks about making climate investments more attractive globally, and unpacks the projects the bank is already funding – from solar panels in the Sahel to a hydroelectric dam in Mozambique.
Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producers are Mythili Rao, Magnus Henriksen, and Oscar Boyd. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.