00:00They're set in the light of the Paris climate goals not being met, and this is experts saying this, not me.
00:05A failure to slow down the warming of the world, major issues then regarding clean energy.
00:10We're going to go straight into this debate with two major players who are at this week's Paris Peace Forum
00:15to give us more insight into what possibly could be the positive ways ahead.
00:19They are, by no order of preference, I'm just going to go first for Carol Koech.
00:24Good to see you. You're from the Global Energy Alliance and you're the Africa Vice President, as I understand it.
00:28Correct. OK, good. That's such a good start.
00:30On the other side is Agnes Dasevich. Agnes is the Chief Investment and Programme Officer at the Global Energy Alliance.
00:38You're both at the Paris Peace Forum. Clearly, you've got a really important message to give.
00:43Agnes, can I bring you in first? With the experts saying that the 1.5 degree target Celsius is unlikely to be met,
00:53and that's compared to how the world was pre-industrial times. That's pre-1850.
00:59I thought it was pre-1750, but I'll go with what the experts are saying.
01:03We are in a difficult situation. How urgent do you think this situation is? Give us your take.
01:09I think the situation is urgent, but I think there was a lot of positive news as well.
01:14For example, this year, we're in a pivotal moment where renewable production surpassed production of energy from fossil fuels.
01:22Renewables are now 90 percent. 90 percent of renewables are actually cheaper than fossil fuels.
01:29So what we're seeing, even though the goals are not being met, countries and communities are actually choosing renewables
01:37and choosing that production of energy to power their economic growth.
01:41So there are reasons to be cheerful. Let's bring Carol in to talk about Africa, because when they say that when the U.S. sneezes, Europe gets a cold.
01:49But when the world has a problem, it always seems to impact Africa the most.
01:54And in terms of what this energy issue is and the issue of global warming, too, it must be a more amplified problem for Africans.
02:02I think the good news is that Africa today holds a very large portion of the renewable power potential.
02:09Personally, I have grown up in Kenya without electricity, but I'm glad to say that I've spent the last 20 years plus trying to solve this problem.
02:22And even though we still have 600 million people in Africa without electricity access, there's a massive focus to reduce that number through the Mission 300 program,
02:35which is being led by the World Bank and Africa Development Bank.
02:40And the Global Energy Alliance is one of the supporting partners to that.
02:45And there's a lot of focus to try and power as many Africans as possible.
02:50So getting that electricity to more countries than Africa is a very big issue.
02:55Is this something that, Agnes, can I just put this to you, is it something that will be actually sort of an African issue, an African problem, if you like?
03:04Or is it something that you can see other global partners coming in and helping? How will that work?
03:09I think this is not just an Africa problem and an Africa opportunity.
03:13I think this is a global issue and a global opportunity.
03:16Energy really is the engine for economic growth and for jobs.
03:21This year alone, or over the next decade, a billion young people will enter the workforce.
03:28And the projection currently is that only about 30% of them will find jobs.
03:33So we really need to enable countries to use energy and renewable energy to create economic growth.
03:40Because energy powers small businesses, it powers productive use equipment, for example, refrigeration, cooling stations, small rice mills, that people are really using to earn incomes and create jobs.
03:53So it's not just about making sure that the energy is there and the connections are there.
03:57It's also about how does that energy power jobs that are in incredible demand by the new youth population that's really coming.
04:07Which is absolutely immense, Agnes, isn't it?
04:09The whole concept.
04:10But coming back to specific African problems, and I think, Carol, you mentioned the numbers.
04:1514 countries with less than 50% electricity coverage.
04:18South Sudan, 5%.
04:19Burundi, 11%.
04:20Chad, 12%.
04:21You mentioned your own childhood in Kenya growing up with no electricity.
04:24Where does that get solved?
04:27How does it get solved?
04:29Is it, I'll put it to you, is it a government issue?
04:31Is it something that communities can be working on?
04:34Where does the result, how does that problem get solved?
04:38I think this is a problem that requires all hands on deck.
04:42It is a public, private, philanthropic partnership opportunity.
04:49Because the problem is so big that it cannot be solved by one party.
04:53And I think if you look at how the Mission 300 program is structured, it's being led by the two banks.
05:00It's governments driving it.
05:02It's philanthropists coming in to provide some catalytic support.
05:06And it's private sector running the programs and deploying the projects on ground.
05:11So collectively, everybody is solving this problem.
05:15So the way I see it is, it is everybody's problem.
05:18It's everybody's problem.
05:19But someone somewhere has to provide the money to make this work.
05:22Is that where you come into it, Agnes?
05:24Yes, so...
05:25Do you have a big checkbook?
05:27That's my basic question.
05:29Well, what I can say, what we do have, is we have amazing partners.
05:33Okay.
05:34So not only do we have philanthropic partners, we also have partners, like I said, in local governments.
05:39And we have partners in local communities.
05:41So let me share a story of a business that we're supporting in Haiti, where, as you know,
05:48there's a lot of conflict, a lot of uncertainty in Haiti.
05:50But we are helping, we're funding a small business that is installing solar panels in the communities
05:56in Haiti.
05:57And as they were delivering these solar panels, they were stopped by a gang, and the whole
06:02truck with the solar panels on it was stolen.
06:05And then it was returned two hours later.
06:08And when they asked why they were returning it, the person said, oh, my grandmother told
06:13me that I have to return these because these are going to be powering my village.
06:17So you really need to bring everyone on board.
06:21You need to bring communities.
06:22You need to bring philanthropy.
06:24You need to bring the local governments.
06:26You need to bring the private sector.
06:28Because this is the time for alliances.
06:31And this is the time for really a coalition.
06:34Because I don't think it's just a challenge.
06:36I really think it's a huge opportunity to use renewables to help local communities and
06:40drive economic growth.
06:41That is a beautiful story about the grandmother making the gang give back the truck with the
06:48solar panels.
06:49Absolutely fantastic.
06:51Can I just, I mean, both of you answer this question.
06:53When you have someone like Donald Trump who says that he doubts, well, doesn't say he
06:57doubts that climate change exists.
06:58He says it doesn't exist.
06:59He says it's absolute nonsense.
07:01Where does that leave your arguments?
07:03I mean, because clearly clean energy is vital because of the issue of global warming.
07:07So when you have Donald Trump saying what he says and others who will echo that, how does
07:12that leave you feeling, Carol, first and then Agnes?
07:15You know that when I speak from an African perspective, Africa requires access.
07:21And what they have available and affordable today is clean energy.
07:27And they don't have enough resources to spend on anything else.
07:31They will spend the limited resources to power their people using the most available and
07:36affordable technologies.
07:37I think that really is an easy decision for many governments to make in Africa.
07:42Okay.
07:42So not answering the question on Trump, but I hear what you're saying.
07:45Agnes, I'll put the same question to you.
07:47When Donald Trump says it doesn't, it's a hoax.
07:50How do you feel?
07:51I really think that the countries are making their own choices.
07:55So once again, I feel that they make their own decisions.
07:59And as Carol said, renewables are often the decisions that they make because it's cheaper.
08:06So for example, in places like Kenya and places like Brazil, if you have a diesel generator
08:11or a kerosene power source, that is usually more expensive for you than a solar panel powered
08:17one.
08:18So you will just make that choice.
08:19It's pure economics.
08:21It's energy security for these countries.
08:23If you do not have fossil fuels in your country, you don't want to be dependent on imports.
08:27So I feel that independent of what anyone really says, the countries are choosing renewables
08:33and we could see it.
08:34And yes, thank you for being with us.
08:36That's Agnes Dasiewicz and Carol Koch from the Global Energy Alliance giving us that take
08:42on why clean, green energy is necessary in a world which is getting hotter and hotter.
08:49Thank you both for coming in.
08:50It's much appreciated.
08:51And continue your good work at the Paris Peace Forum, I'm sure.
08:54And I hope it's going very well for you both.
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