The 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit, held in Beijing from September 4 to 6, highlighted Africa’s crucial role in the global energy transition, environmental advocacy group, the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) has said.
With the theme “Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future,” the summit focused on deepening collaboration as the world moves toward clean energy in line with the Paris Agreement’s Net Zero goals.
ZELA said the transition to modern, clean energy has led to increased demand for critical resources like lithium, wind turbines, and solar photovoltaics (PVs) and are essential to producing electric vehicles and large-scale infrastructure sectors where China has emerged as a global leader. “Africa is home to many of the critical resources necessary for this transition, positioning the continent at the centre of the global energy shift,” said ZELA.
The organisation underscored the importance of leveraging Africa’s mineral wealth to fuel industrialization, aligning with the Africa Green Minerals Strategy and Africa Mining Vision.
ZELA highlighted the need for Africa to develop a cohesive strategy for engaging with China.
“It is pivotal for Africa to have its own strategy for engaging with China,” the organisation said, outlining the four pillars of the Africa Green Minerals (AGM) Strategy: advancing mineral development, developing technological capability, building key value chains, and ensuring mineral stewardship.
Addressing Africa’s challenge of being a raw material exporter, ZELA called for deeper partnerships with China, particularly in value addition and industrial development.
The UN Secretary General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, which both China and Africa are members of, ZELA said was a vital platform to ensure sustainable and equitable mineral extraction.
FOCAC 2024, ZELA said, provided a unique opportunity to align Africa’s mineral strategy with global clean energy objectives.
