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CoM SSA Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) course

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  1. MODULE 1: Setting the scene
  2. Lesson 1.1: Introduction to the CoM SSA initiative
    2 Topics
  3. Lesson 1.2: Introduction to the SEACAP
    3 Topics
  4. Lesson 1.3: Climate change and cities in Africa
    2 Topics
  5. MODULE 2: SEACAP mitigation pillar
  6. Lesson 2.1: Key concepts in climate change mitigation
    1 Topic
  7. Lesson 2.2: Introduction to the mitigation pillar
    2 Topics
  8. Lesson 2.3: The SEACAP development process for the mitigation pillar
    1 Topic
  9. Lesson 2.4: Emissions inventories: GHG emissions
    4 Topics
  10. Lesson 2.5: Developing a Baseline Emissions Inventory (BEI)
    3 Topics
  11. Lesson 2.6: Tools for BEI development
    2 Topics
  12. Lesson 2.7: Setting mitigation targets
    2 Topics
  13. Lesson 2.8: Planning mitigation actions
    1 Topic
  14. MODULE 3: SEACAP access to energy pillar
  15. Lesson 3.1: Key concepts in access to energy
  16. Lesson 3.2: Introduction to the access to energy pillar
    2 Topics
  17. Lesson 3.3: The SEACAP development process for the access to energy pillar
    1 Topic
  18. Lesson 3.4: Data collection
    3 Topics
  19. Lesson 3.5: Developing an Access to Energy Assessment (AEA)
    2 Topics
  20. Lesson 3.6: Setting an energy vision and targets
    3 Topics
  21. Module 3.7: Planning energy actions
    3 Topics
  22. MODULE 4: SEACAP adaptation pillar
  23. Lesson 4.1: Key Concepts in climate change adaptation
  24. Lesson 4.2: Introduction to the adaptation pillar
    2 Topics
  25. Lesson 4.3: The SEACAP development process for the adaptation pillar
    1 Topic
  26. Lesson 4.4: Developing a Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVA)
  27. Lesson 4.5: Setting an adaptation vision and sectoral targets
    2 Topics
  28. Lesson 4.6: Planning adaptation actions
    2 Topics
  29. MODULE 5: Steps to take before you implement your SEACAP
  30. Lesson 5.1: Next steps for prioritised actions
  31. Lesson 5.2: Categorising actions to access external finance
    2 Topics
  32. MODULE 6: Communicating your SEACAP
  33. Lesson 6.1: Designing your SEACAP
    3 Topics
  34. Lesson 6.2: Communicating your SEACAP to key stakeholders
    1 Topic
  35. MODULE 7: Reporting your SEACAP
  36. Lesson 7.1: Introduction to reporting your SEACAP
    3 Topics
  37. Lesson 7.2: Introduction to reporting the mitigation pillar
    4 Topics
  38. Lesson 7.3: Introduction to reporting the adaptation pillar
    3 Topics
  39. Lesson 7.4: Introduction to reporting the access to energy pillar
    3 Topics
  40. MODULE 8: Integrating your SEACAP into existing planning processes
  41. Lesson 8.1: Integrating your SEACAP actions into local level plans
    1 Topic

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What is the state of energy access in Africa?

  • In Africa in 2021, about 600 million people (590 million in sub-Saharan Africa), representing 43% of the population, lack access to electricity (Africa Energy Outlook 2022, IEA). 

Meanwhile, an estimated 990 million people, more than 70% of the population, do not have access to clean cooking solutions (World Energy Outlook 2023, IEA).

Figure 3: Africa’s share in selected global energy and economic indicators and key population indicators, 2010-2021 (Source: Africa Energy Outlook 2022, IEA)

What is access to electricity?

  • Electricity access refers to the percentage of people in a given area that have relatively simple, stable access to electricity (IEA).

In sub-Saharan Africa, 55% of people lack access to electricity. In 13 countries, more than three-quarters of the population do not have access to electricity (see Figure 4 below).

Figure 4: Electricity access in Africa (Source: Africa Energy Outlook 2019, IEA)

Benefits of increased electricity access in Africa

*Click on the red dots on the image below for more information

Reduces post-harvest losses

Cold storage powered by renewable energy supply, for example, could help reduce post-harvest losses, which are estimated at between 20% and 50% of food produced in sub-Saharan Africa.

Improves agricultural productivity through irrigation

Electricity can also play an important role in improving agricultural productivity through irrigation, as several successful examples of stand-alone solar water pumps show, provided that policy makers also tackle wasteful irrigation practices.

Improves healthcare services

Electricity for powering medical equipment increases the range of vital services that can be offered in hospitals to ensure better health for patients.

What is the impact of a lack of energy access on development ?

    • The absence of electricity access, or intermittent access, deeply impacts service delivery.
    • In 2020, only 47% of lower-secondary schools in sub-Saharan Africa had access to electricity (Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2023)  
    • In 27 sub-Saharan African countries, close to 60% of healthcare facilities have no access to reliable electricity.

What is access to clean cooking?

      • Access to clean cooking facilities means access to (and primary use of) modern fuels and technologies, including natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), electricity and biogas, or improved biomass cookstoves (ICS), as opposed to the basic biomass cookstoves and three-stone fires (JRC guidebook, 2018).
      • Cookstoves are commonly called “improved” if they are more efficient, emit less or are safer than the traditional cookstoves or three-stone fires.
      • Around 900 million people are without access to clean cooking in Africa.
      • In 32 countries, more than 75% of the population is without access to clean cooking.

Figure 5: Population without access to clean cooking in Africa, 2018(Source: Africa Energy Outlook 2019, IEA)

CoM SSA is co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ)

Disclaimer

This website was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ). Its contents are the sole responsibility of Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the other co-funders.