After several years of declining funding, the African end of the Belt and Road Initiative seems to be roaring back. The newest Griffith University/Green Development Finance Center data on the Belt and Road Initiative shows that engagement with Africa jumped by 395%, while a few big projects boosted engagement in Nigeria alone more than twelvefold.
These shifts indicate a window of opportunity for African electrification. 60% of Africans still ...
Category: Green Energy
China’s Solar Expansion in Indonesia Still Relies on Coal
In West Java, a province just east of Jakarta, Indonesia, a sprawling industrial park is rising. Backed by Chinese cement giant Hongshi Holding Group, the $5 billion complex promises to produce the solar panels and batteries that the world desperately needs to combat climate change.
The New Protectionism Toward China and Climate Change
By Kevin P. Gallagher For decades now, China has advanced a big push in both policy innovation and public investment to become the global leader in low carbon technology trade. While deploying these innovations is beginning to transform the Chinese economy, ...
Chinese EV Tech Complements Others in Senegal’s E-Boats
Empowering local mechanics through hands-on training to reduce dependence on imported fuel is creating opportunities in tourism, fishing, and green innovation, demonstrating scalable solutions for Senegal’s clean energy future in e-mobility. This week, we spotlight ...
How Kenya Is Training the Next Generation of EV Mechanics & Owners
As the world accelerates toward e-mobility, Kenya's EV training programs are becoming more common as more people embrace electric mobility. The rise of electric mobility is bringing about a transformation that could reshape Kenya’s ...
Strategic Sustainability: Indonesia’s Green Bet on the “BRICS Bank”
Indonesia’s decision to join the New Development Bank (NDB) under the BRICS framework presents an opportunity to accelerate its green industrial policy. As the country transitions toward a more sustainable economy, securing financing for clean energy, infrastructure, and environmentally friendly industries is paramount. NDB offers an additional ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
How China Can Capitalize on Indonesia’s New $900 Billion Investment Fund
China has a prime opportunity to expand its economic presence in Indonesia through the newly established Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Board (Danantara). Announced by President Prabowo Subianto, Danantara will manage $900 billion in assets, consolidating key state-owned enterprises (SOEs) into a centralized investment body. ...
Will Trump’s Paris Exit Turn China Into Indonesia’s Climate Partner?
The Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Accord has raised global climate uncertainty, but Indonesia could be ground zero for its geopolitical impact. This is because of the country’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) agreement with the G7. The $20 ...
What China’s Green ‘Overcapacity’ Could Mean for the Global South
By Xie Ruohan "Overcapacity” is a word that has dominated the global political agenda this year. In an April visit to China, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen privately and publicly raised the Chinese economy’s “imbalances and overcapacity.” Yellen expressed worries that this overcapacity ...
Power Shift: China’s Role in Central Asia’s Renewable Energy Transformation
Even though the five countries in Central Asia are among the world's largest fossil fuel producers, the region faces chronic electricity shortages due to a lack of refining capacity. The energy crunch is further compounded by a reluctance to become overly ...
FOCAC Should Focus on Promoting Green Energy Projects: Standard Bank
Energy issues are widely expected to be very high on the agenda at the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit that gets underway on September 4th in Beijing. Most African countries are facing chronic power shortages that are increasingly exacerbated by ...
Fuel Cost Savings Inspire Kenyan Taxi Driver to Buy Low-Cost Chinese EV
Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) are making savings easier for Kenyan taxi drivers like Paul Mwai. He is able to cut back close to $700 every month on fuel costs, which he is using to pay for his new car. This is ...
Why Green Energy Will Likely Feature Prominently at FOCAC 2024
In December 2023, a glimpse of the future of Africa-China relations quietly debuted in rural Limpopo Province, South Africa. The University of Venda unveiled its new Confucius Institute. That part isn’t new – even as the state-supported Mandarin-language institutes face increasing pressure in the Global North, ...