Seforall appreciates partners in Kigali forum

RWANDA: Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO of Sustainable Energy for ALL (SEforALL) and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, has expressed gratitude to Pan African African Climate Justice (PACJA) and other partners for hosting a fruitful and successful SEforALL forum in Kigali, Rwanda, where various stakeholders met to achieve just and inclusive energy.

Damilola made the remarks during the closing plenary ceremony at the Kigali Convention Center (KCC), where the conference was held from May 17 to 19, with delegates from all over the world in attendance.

Concurrently, Wanjira Mathaai, Vice President and Regional Director for Africa at the World Resource Institute (WRI), lauded (PACJA) for its support of the Youth Lounge at Sustainable Energy for ALL (SEforALL) in Kigali, Rwanda.

Wanjira Mathaai emphasized that in a world where youth are the majority, climate justice will not be addressed unless the youth are included, supported, and defended on these issues.

"We must credit our leaders; for example, in Kenya, 90 per cent of energy is green; what we need is just and equitable clean energy and some African countries have already achieved Net-Zero." Most developing countries have affordable and reliable energy, but what we need is at least 1000 kilowatt hours compared to countries in the north that have 13000-kilowatt hours, which we must use for production and industries," Wanjira explained.

Olumide idowu, Executive Coordinator for African Initiative for Climate Change, Co-Founder of International Climate Development Initiative in Nigeria, and Nairobi Summer School Alumni (NSSCJ), on the other hand, stated that as a young person, the fight is for people and the planet to have sustainable energy.

"When you look at economic growth, energy is a powerful tool," Olumide said.

Rufaro Matsika, Community Development Research Officer for the African Initiative on Climate Change in Zimbabwe and NSSCJ Alumni, stated that most African countries have been using fossil fuels to coal in terms of energy supply and hydro-power, but due to climate change, water levels are decreasing and hydro-power supply is decreasing, resulting in power outages, cuts, and load shedding.

"I'm learning a lot about Just Energy Transition from this conference. As Africa, we need to recognize that as a continent, we need to walk with other continents in transitioning from the use of fossil fuels to the use of renewable energy."

However, because we are progressing, we require a just transition in which we require investment and funding from the global north," Matsika stated.

The inaugural SEforALL 2022 conference in Africa concluded on May 19, and it drew participation from scholars from all over the world in order to accomplish SDG7 by 2030.

PACJA, WRI, and Carnegie Mellon University Africa were among the official sponsors of the Forum's Young Environmental Activists.