Cape Town: The African Climate Foundation (ACF) participated in a just energy transition focused Alternative Mining Indaba (AMI), which takes place the first week of February 2023 on the sidelines of the annual Investing in African Mining Indaba.

The 2023 AMI, through meaningful and engaging dialogue, will focus on better understanding the opportunities and challenges associated with a global just energy transition.

The just transition in South Africa is well known to have catalysed a deeper conversation not only about energy transitions but also about systems change and economic transformation.

Keynoting this year’s AMI event, the ACF’s Saliem Fakir delivered an optimistic view of Africa when he touched on the continent’s resources. Though remained realistic as he emphasised the many challenges faced by African regions. Most importantly, he said “when we look at the mineral sector, we have to increase diversification – as many other countries have shown, it is through cheaper energy sources and lower levels of debt.”

On the matter of the global decarbonisation programme, Fakir described it as far from an innocent process and in fact, harmful when not taken seriously. Africa is “not capitalising on the new green minerals race where new ways of industrialisation are used. We must make sure that the past does not repeat itself,” he said. His view unpacked decarbonisation as a risk for Africa, due to what he referred to as “sunlight grabbing” without tangible evidence that these large-scale projects and investments benefit ordinary people.

The ACF this week also released a post event summary of a JETP-centred summit held towards the end of 2022. The report captures Fakir’s closing remarks during 2023’s AMI that a truly just transition builds the resilience of the economy and its people with sustainable, equitable, inclusive land-use for all, especially the most vulnerable.