High expectations on climate, energy for upcoming FOCAC

The eighth ministerial conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will take place from Nov 29 to 30 in the Senegalese capital of Dakar, with 55 members expected to attend.

The conference is titled "Deepen China-Africa Partnership and Promote Sustainable Development to Build a China-Africa Community with a Shared Future in the New Era", and follows the last summit held in 2018.

Happening soon after the conclusion of COP26 in Scotland earlier this month, and President Xi Jinping's announcement at the United Nations General Assembly in September that China will no longer fund new coal-fired power plants overseas, Africa's expectations on climate and energy issues from the conference are high.

China-Africa watchers predict the forum may close with a climate declaration, which will likely be a first for the FOCAC.

According to the International Energy Agency, Chinese companies that operated as the main contractors on energy projects were responsible for 30 percent of new capacity additions in sub-Saharan Africa between 2010 and 2015.

African governments are increasingly looking toward renewables as a source for the expansion of energy generation, and African leaders are therefore anticipated to sign renewable energy deals.

Despite its rich endowment in renewable resources, including the world's most abundant solar resources, the continent's non-hydro renewable sector has so far been growing slowly. Only five countries on the continent have installed wind power capacity in excess of 300MW, and only four countries have over 300MW of installed solar power capacity.

As the world's largest producer of solar photovoltaic and wind power equipment, and with a domestic track record of rapid capacity expansion and utilization, experts said China is well-placed to take advantage of the emerging renewable energy market on the African continent. China's announcement at the UNGA to stop funding coal projects overseas is seen as giving political impetus to Chinese investments in the renewable energy sector in Africa.

Wei Shen, research fellow at the Institute of Development Studies in the United Kingdom, said China is a leader in the global renewable industry, particularly in the solar photovoltaic sector.

"It has unparalleled manufacturing capacity for solar panels – eight of the top 10 world suppliers are Chinese," he wrote. "Across sub-Saharan Africa, China's renewable energy involvement has been growing. For example, the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative and the China–Africa Renewable Energy Cooperation and Innovation Alliance have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate in renewable energy generation in Africa to combat climate change and promote sustainable development. There is a wider consensus that it is important for Chinese companies and financial institutions to act in line with these goals."