Africa’s energy crisis meets climate opportunity: how 600 million people could leapfrog to clean power

Across Africa, 600 million people—roughly 40% of the continent’s population—lack access to basic electricity for lighting their homes, charging phones, or staying connected to the world through radio and television. Even where power exists, it’s often insufficient to support critical infrastructure like hospitals, schools, and water treatment facilities, leaving communities vulnerable and underserved.

This energy poverty sits at the heart of climate justice discussions at COP30, the U.N. climate conference taking place November 10-21 in Belém, Brazil. The irony is stark: while wealthy nations built their economies by burning fossil fuels and generating most of the world’s carbon emissions, it’s people in less-industrialized regions—who contributed least to climate change—who face its worst impacts through droughts, rising seas, and intensifying storms. Without reliable electricity, these communities are literally and figuratively left in the dark.

However, Rebekah Shirley, deputy director for Africa at the World Resources Institute, sees tremendous potential in what she calls the continent’s “perfect ingredients” for an energy transformation. Africa possesses abundant renewable resources—solar, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric power—that could enable communities to leapfrog directly to clean energy without repeating the fossil fuel-dependent development path of industrialized nations. Remarkably, more than half of Africa’s current energy consumption already comes from renewable sources, suggesting the foundation for a just energy transition is already in place.

The key lies in scaling up investments in renewable infrastructure to harness these natural advantages, potentially transforming Africa’s energy deficit into a climate solution that serves both local communities and global environmental goals.