Johannesburg, November 21, 2025: A year-long campaign to mobilise investments in renewable energy across Africa has concluded with pledges amounting to €15.5 billion, marking a major step toward expanding electricity access and accelerating the continent’s clean energy transition.
The initiative, co-led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, was organised in collaboration with Global Citizen and supported by the International Energy Agency. It aimed to drive public and private investment in renewable energy, promote sustainable economic growth, and support Africa’s decarbonised industrialisation.
EU Leads Global Effort
The European Union spearheaded the pledging effort, contributing more than €15.1 billion. This includes a €10 billion Team Europe package announced by President von der Leyen, alongside bilateral contributions from EU Member States, development finance institutions, and private investors.
Key contributions include:
- European Investment Bank – €2.1 billion
- European Bank for Reconstruction and Development – €740 million
- Italy – €2.4 billion
- Germany – over €2 billion
- Netherlands (including FMO) – €250 million
- Portugal – €113 million
- Denmark – €81 million
- Sweden – €44 million
- Austria – €5 million
- Ireland – €5 million
The African Development Bank also pledged to allocate at least 20% of its African Development Fund’s 17th replenishment to renewable energy, while Norway committed approximately €53 million between 2026 and 2028.
Tangible Impact
The campaign secured commitments to generate 26.8 GW of renewable energy and deliver electricity to 17.5 million households currently without reliable access.
President von der Leyen hailed the outcome, stating:
“Today, the world has stepped up for Africa. With €15.5 billion, we are turbocharging Africa’s clean-energy transition. Millions more people could gain access to electricity; real, life-changing power for families, businesses, and communities.”
Building Momentum
The campaign, launched in November 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, created momentum toward global climate goals set at COP28, including tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency worldwide.
Currently, 600 million Africans lack access to electricity, despite the continent holding 60% of the world’s best solar resources. Yet Africa attracts only 2% of global energy investment, hindered by high capital costs and infrastructure challenges.
Through the Global Gateway strategy and the Africa-Europe Green Energy Initiative (AEGEI), the EU is working with African partners to seize this opportunity, investing in generation, transmission, and cross-border electricity trade.
In addition to the pledges, Team Europe actors signaled plans to increase renewable energy investments by another €4 billion by 2030, reinforcing long-term partnerships for Africa’s clean energy future.