Africafé: Fostering Effective Energy Transition in the Atlantic Region

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly emerging as both an energy optimizer and a structural source of energy demand. While AI promises efficiency gains in forecasting, grid management, and emissions reduction, its expansion is already reshaping electricity systems: data center consumption could more than double by 2030. Beyond this techno-economic duality lies a deeper challenge: the sovereignty of digital and energy systems. AI rests on highly concentrated supply chains of chips, ...

During my mid-2025 visit to Morocco my second trip to the country that year I experienced a distinct and powerful shift in momentum. The Global Growth Congress, where I had the honour of speaking on “Africa’s Energy Future: From Potential to Power,” transcended the usual conference format; it felt like a turning point. The event reflected a growing acknowledgment that Africa’s role in the global energy landscape is no longer peripheral but central. The stakes have been raised, the c ...

I have been traveling to Morocco regularly—at least twice a year—for many years. But this time, the atmosphere in Rabat felt markedly different. I had the honor of addressing the Global Growth Congress, where I spoke on a topic that is rapidly becoming one of the most consequential issues of our time: Africa’s Energy Future: From Potential to Power.We were not merely discussing electrons and megawatts. We were dissecting sovereignty, resilience, global competition, and the future of ...

This paper (see pages: 165-198), included in the book 'Green intersections: the global embedding of climate change in policy' was originally published on bruegel.org   The demand for energy in Africa is growing rapidly, driven by population growth, urbanisation and industrialisation. Nevertheless, over 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity, which represents a significant energy gap for the continent. At the same time, Africa is endowed with vast renewable ...

Green industrial policies are essential to enable the structural transformations needed for a successful transition to a low-carbon economy. Because of the pressing need to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, it is imperative to reallocate resources strategically from carbon-intensive sectors to sustainable, high-productivity industries. This transition is critical both to mitigate the impacts of climate change and to promote long-term economic growth and sustai ...