🌍💚 Africa is on the move towards a greener future, and guess who's in the passenger seat? Electric vehicles (EVs) from China! 🚗⚡️
Robert Tama Lisinge, a senior official at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), emphasized how cooperation with China is sparking Africa's green energy transition. \"We want to see more Africans driving EVs on the streets of the continent,\" he shared enthusiastically. \"Not just driving them, but also manufacturing them right here in Africa!\" 🛠️🌱
Africa's transport sector, heavily reliant on fossil fuels, is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Lisinge highlighted the urgent need for change: \"Fighting greenhouse gas emissions and protecting our climate have to focus on the transport sector. We're supporting energy transition through the use of EVs.\" 🌿🌟
China, being a global leader in EV production and energy storage technology, is playing a pivotal role. \"China is already exporting a lot of electric vehicles not only to Africa but also to the rest of the world,\" Lisinge noted. 🚀🌐
But here's the kicker: Africa is rich in raw materials needed for EV batteries! 🧪🌋 \"At the UNECA, we're working on the value-chain of battery production, not just exporting raw materials but producing the batteries in Africa,\" Lisinge explained. This could mean more jobs and tech development on the continent! 👩🔧👨🔬
Lisinge also pointed out the existing strong partnerships between China and Africa in energy transition. \"China is already a leader in many ways,\" he said. \"A lot of the solar projects you see in Africa are using solar panels from China.\" ☀️🔌
He emphasized the huge potential for localizing technologies to manufacture green energy solutions in Africa. \"It's about technology transfer because Africa has abundant renewable energy resources and the critical minerals for green energy transition,\" Lisinge remarked. 🔄💡
Wrapping it up, Lisinge called for boosting the China-Africa partnership even more, especially in developing energy infrastructure and technology transfer. \"We recognize the important role that China is playing in Africa's infrastructure development, and we want to see more of that happening,\" he said. 🤝🏗️
It's an exciting time for Africa's green journey! Let's keep our eyes on the road ahead. 👀🚀
Reference(s):
UN official: China empowers Africa's green energy transition with EVs
cgtn.com
