The G20’s Energy Infrastructure Plans for Africa: What is Missing?

Saliem Fakir’s reaction to the G20 adaption of the 20 Year Development Action Plan (DAP) at the summit in Seoul, South Korea, addresses the missing energy infrastructure plans in terms of Africa’s energy future in the G20 agreement. The general basis of the plan was that through the use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) African countries would be able to develop and maintain energy and transportation infrastructure in order to provide their citizens with affordable energy and travel abilities. While Fakir does not disagree with the use of this approach entirely, he does point out the DAP’s many weak spots that the G20 has failed to address. Some of such limitations include income inequality in and between African nations, the lack of ability/desire of private organizations to reach the poor, limited grid access of those living in poverty, the inability to procure investments in regions that are economically and/or politically fragile, and the potential of PPP’s to create corruption by decreasing civil societies ability to discuss which private corporations to use on an open forum. In order to make this process more effective, Fakir argues that there must be more effort to localize energy, especially in areas that are difficult to access. He suggests Renewable Energy Technology (RET) as a viable option in order to promote niche businesses, create a more level playing field, and guarantee access while promoting green growth.  The DAP, he states, needs to be adjusted and its weak points worked through. Such an opportunity to promote green renewable energy could come at the upcoming G20 Green Growth Summit.