Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
A year-long campaign to mobilize investment in renewable energy in Africa, led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, has secured €15.5 billion to provide a clean future across the continent, in addition to further commitments in clean energy generation and ensuring access to electricity for households. According to a statement issued by the European Union institutions in Brussels, "The European Union led the pledges effort, with more than €15.1 billion. This includes a pledge of more than €10 billion made by President Ursula von der Leyen, on behalf of Team Europe, as well as significant additional bilateral contributions from European financial institutions, Member States, and their development finance institutions, in addition to estimated private investments mobilized.

The campaign, organized in partnership with the international advocacy organization Global Citizen and with the support of the International Energy Agency, aims to stimulate public and private investment to support the clean energy transition in Africa, expand access to electricity, and promote sustainable economic growth and carbon-free manufacturing. This also represents a step forward in accelerating the global transition from fossil fuels to clean and sustainable energy. President von der Leyen said: "Today, the world has rallied behind Africa. With €15.5 billion, we are accelerating Africa's clean energy transition. Millions of people will gain access to electricity; real power that transforms the lives of families, businesses, and entire communities." This investment represents a leap forward in opportunity: thriving markets, new jobs, and clean, reliable energy that meets the needs of partners around the world. President Ramaphosa and I look forward to a clean energy future for the continent. “A future led by Africa, with strong support from its friend and partner, Europe.” President von der Leyen’s Team Europe package includes new global gateway projects co-financed by Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain, as well as the European Investment Bank (€2.1 billion) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (€740 million). Italy (€2.4 billion), Germany (over €2 billion), the Netherlands, including the Federal Bank for Microfinance (€250 million), Portugal (€113 million), Denmark (€81 million), Sweden (€44 million), Austria (€5 million), and Ireland (€5 million) have also made bilateral contributions totaling over €5 billion, while the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development announced a separate bilateral investment exceeding €600 million. As part of the campaign, the African Development Bank pledged to allocate at least 20% of the 17th replenishment of the African Development Fund’s resources to renewable energy. Norway pledged approximately €53 million through its contribution to the African Development Fund during the period. 2026-2028.

The campaign also secured additional commitments that will generate 26.8 gigawatts of renewable energy, providing renewable electricity to 17.5 million households currently without access to electricity.

Of the €10 billion pledged by President von der Leyen on behalf of Team Europe, €3.1 billion had already been announced at the EU-South Africa Summit in March 2025, the MATI Plan for Africa and the Global Gateway Forum in June 2025, the Africa Climate Summit and the UN General Assembly in September 2025, and the Global Gateway Forum in October 2025. The President announced an additional €7 billion at the final pledging event in Johannesburg on November 21.

In addition to the campaign pledges, several Team Europe actors have expressed their intention to increase renewable energy investments by 2030. This amounts to an additional €4 billion.

The “Scaling Up Renewable Energy in Africa” campaign was launched in November. The 2024 Global Summit on Sustainable Development was launched in Rio de Janeiro by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Its aim was to galvanize governments, financial institutions, the private sector, and philanthropic organizations into new policy and financing commitments. The campaign also generated broader momentum toward achieving the ambitious goals of tripling the use of renewable energy and doubling its efficiency globally, as set at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28).

Currently, 600 million people in Africa still lack access to electricity. With Africa’s population projected to double by 2050, providing sustainable and affordable energy is crucial for the continent’s development and for achieving global climate goals. Africa possesses 60% of the world’s best solar energy resources, presenting a significant opportunity for renewable energy. However, the continent attracts only 2% of global energy investment and faces challenges such as high capital costs, limited investment, geographical barriers, and supply chain constraints.

Through the Global Gateway’s investment strategy, and particularly through the Africa-EU Partnership,