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 child carrying sack of ore in foreground, with wind turbines and solar panels in background under sunrise.

Finance or Folly? How Climate Capital Is Fueling Mining Abuses in Africa

In recent climate weeks, the buzzwords were everywhere: “green capital,” “just transition,” “unlocking climate finance.” On panels, participants nodded in agreement about the trillions needed to accelerate the energy transition.…
African woman cooking on a traditional three-stone fire with smoke rising, representing energy poverty and the need for clean cooking solutions in rural Africa.

Who Bears the Burden? Gender and the Energy Transition in Africa

Grace, a mother of four in rural Zambia, wakes before dawn to trek miles for firewood. She balances heavy bundles on her head, prepares meals over a smoky three-stone fire.…
African speaker at podium with climate finance map of Africa behind him and donor logos including World Bank, EU, and USAID.

Who’s Funding Africa’s Transition? The Hidden Gatekeepers of Green Finance

Billions are pledged. But who decides who gets them, and on whose terms? Across Africa, the energy transition has become more than a technical debate. It’s a question of power,…
Four children playing under solar streetlights in a Goma neighbourhood at dusk with mountains in the background.

In the Shadow of Conflict, Solar Power is Rebuilding Lives in Goma

It is evening in Goma, and the sun has just slipped behind the jagged hills that surround this bustling city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. As darkness falls,…
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…
African women sitting near a railway, observing a mineral freight train passing through their village.

Beyond the Tracks: What Africa’s Mining Corridors Really Mean for the Communities They Bypass

"The trains pass, but we are still in the dark." That was the quiet but piercing remark of Mariam, a farmer in northern Zambia, whose family was relocated to make…