Solar panels and transmission towers in Africa at sunset, symbolising the role of foreign finance in powering the continent’s clean energy future.

The Price of Power: Why Africa’s Clean Energy Future Still Depends on External Money

“Africa’s energy transition cannot be financed in a foreign language.” That line has lingered in my mind ever since I read the European Commission’s latest press release announcing €545 million…
African transmission lines at dusk with finance and currency motifs, symbolising finance, FX risk and grid investment for fossil fuel phase-out.

Africa Won’t Phase Out on Promises: Fossil Fuel Exit Demands Finance, FX and Grids

As the world looks ahead to next month’s Africa Climate Summit, negotiators are already circling one contentious phrase: “transitioning away from fossil fuels.” For African delegates, the lesson from past…
Stacked solar panels in wooden crates on Tangier dockside, crane lifting pallet toward city rooftops at golden hour, symbolising Africa Chinese solar panel imports and dependency.

Africa’s Solar Surge: Boom or Dependency?

On a hazy morning in Algiers, a flat-bed truck crawls through traffic stacked high with shrink-wrapped photovoltaic panels. It is an increasingly common sight from North Africa’s coast to the…
African civil society representative at a negotiation table with climate adaptation maps and debt documents, symbolising Africa’s struggle between fiscal obligations and climate action.

Debt-for-Climate Swaps: Lifeline or Leash for Africa’s Green Future?

Everybody frames swaps as innovation. But who controls the script, and who ends up on the cutting room floor? Debt-for-climate swaps are enjoying a moment. Policymakers and international institutions are…
African coal town residents contrast with foreign consultants managing climate funds

Who Truly Benefits from Just Transitions in Africa? The Rising Tide of Elite Extraction

In recent years, Africa has been hailed as a leader in designing just transitions, energy shifts that protect both the planet and people. Among the most ambitious is the Just…
A large stack of shipping containers at an African port under a cloudy sky, symbolising Africa’s trade, debt, and economic ties in the global climate finance conversation.

The Debt Dilemma: Can Climate Deals Free Africa from the Chains of Borrowing?

A quiet revolution is brewing in the corridors of international finance. No, it's not another pledge from the G7 or a flashy COP headline. It’s debt. More precisely, the idea…
A collage of US dollar bills, euro notes, and African currency spread across a weathered wooden table.

Follow the Money: Why Africa Must Demand Accountability in Climate Finance

It is one thing to pledge billions. It’s another to deliver them, transparently, equitably, and in ways that change lives. In the aftermath of every COP summit or climate finance…
A vast solar farm stretching across an arid African landscape with a lone technician inspecting the panels.

Beyond the Buzzwords: Why Africa’s Energy Transition Must Centre People, Not Just Technology

Across conference halls, government roundtables and investor summits, the phrase “energy transition” echoes with growing urgency. Africa is expected to move from energy poverty into a renewable-powered future. Solar mini-grids,…