Energy-deprived Africa has a right to use its natural gas reserves — AfDB chief Adesina

Warning the continent has 600-million people in energy poverty, the right of African countries to use their natural gas reserves should be reflected in any deal at the COP27 climate talks, African Development Bank (AfDB) President Akinwumi Adesina said, even as some nations push to see use of the fuel curtailed.
Agreeing to a deal on fossil fuels is among the key sticking points at the COP27 climate talks held in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, with some developing countries including India reportedly keen to phase down the use of all such fuels, including gas. A preliminary document from the conference hosts arrived late on Monday and made no mention of fossil fuels. But “Africa must have natural gas to complement its renewable energy,” Adesina argued in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the conference. Even if Africa were to triple its production of natural gas from current levels, its contribution to global emissions would only rise by 0.67%, he said.
Amid the push to accelerate countries’ shift to renewable energy, the AfDB is seeking to raise $25bn through the African adaptation acceleration program — the biggest created by any comparable lender, Adesina said. It has also put 85% of its investments between 2016-2021 into renewable energy. Still, natural gas is needed to balance out the electricity supply given the intermittent nature of renewables, he said. “We must recognize the special nature of Africa. Africa has the highest level of energy poverty in the world,” Adesina said. “My interest is how Africa uses natural gas as part of its energy mix to provide electricity for 600-million people today that don’t have access to electricity.”