ENERGIES 2050 co-organized a side event at COP 29, on the theme of “Energy Communities: a lever for action to deploy renewable energies and achieve a Just Energy Transition – European examples and African opportunities”. Held at the Pavillon de la Francophonie during COP 29, the event was organized by ENERGIES 2050 in collaboration with the Réseau Climat et Développement (RC&D) and Afrique Environnement Plus, with the participation of European projects FEDECOM and RECinMED.
Learn more about the event’s speakers:
- Jean-Pascal van YPERSELE, Professor of Climatology and Sustainable Development Sciences at UCLouvain and ULiège (Belgium) and former IPCC Vice-Chairman
- Kossi A. ADZONYO, Executive Director of the Climate & Development Network (RC&D)
- Raoul SIEMENI, Managing Director, Afrique Environnement Plus
- Kamal DJEMOUAI, Senior Expert in Climate Change & Sustainable Development
- Ahmed Sékou DIALLO, Training and Development Support Association (AFAD)
- Stéphane POUFFARY, Managing Director, ENERGIES 2050
This event explored the emergence of energy communities as key players in the transition to renewable energies and the development of a Just Energy Transition. It highlighted a panorama of European experiences in decentralized energy production, generated directly by citizens, and examined how this model could be adapted in the African context to meet the region’s specific energy challenges.
In Europe, energy communities are now at the heart of energy strategy, with the ambition of turning citizens into energy producers in their own right. By 2050 , 45% of renewable energy production in the EU could come from citizens. This requires not only regulatory changes and technical innovations, but also the involvement of a new category of players: prosumers (energy consumers and producers).
This model offers inspiring prospects for other regions of the world, notably developing countries, where the implementation of such initiatives could play a crucial role in supporting a just energy transition.
The event highlighted the dynamics at stake and the lessons learned from European experiences, and provided an opportunity to discuss the opportunities and challenges of adaptation for countries with less developed regulatory frameworks.
