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The United Nations initiative, Sustainable Energy for All (SEForALL), has urged African countries to enhance their alignment with continental and international commitments, particularly the African Energy Efficiency Strategy and the Global Commitment on Energy Efficiency.
SEForALL also wants African countries like Zambia to contribute to broader sustainability goals, including climate change mitigation, improved urban resilience, and enhanced public health outcomes.
SEForALL Energy Efficiency and Cooling Officer, Elizabeth Wangeci-Chege, said this to Zambia Monitor on the sidelines of the official opening of the Pre-Conference Training for the African Energy Efficiency Conference (AfEEC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Wangeci-Chege noted that energy efficiency was one of the best methods of combating the effects of climate change and urged African governments to ensure progress through the adoption of international standards and legislation.
“We need minimum performance standards in Africa and also consideration of standards which create opportunities for greater industrialisation,” she said.
Read More: AFREC calls for stronger policy capacity to drive energy efficiency in Zambia (video)
Wangeci-Chege explained that implementing minimum performance standards (MPS) for energy efficiency in Africa would drive significant energy savings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
She added that this would also create opportunities for industrialisation by encouraging local manufacturing of energy-efficient products, creating jobs in the energy efficiency sector, and reducing energy costs for industries, making them more competitive.
“Our NDCs, our National Determined Contributions across Africa should improve energy efficiency to the sectors,” Wangeci-Chege emphasized.
She added that each country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) should outline their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change, stressing that improving energy efficiency across sectors was a key strategy to achieving these goals.
Wangeci-Chege further highlighted the need to implement energy-efficient technologies and practices in industries such as mining, manufacturing, and construction, and to promote green building codes, energy-efficient appliances, and retrofitting existing buildings.
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