28 August 2006 - The Global Environment Facility (GEF) and REN21 organised a discussion on Renewable Energy in Africa: Lessons Learnt and Lessons Applied for policies and market transformation in Sub-Sahara.

The new CEO of the GEF, Monique Barbut (picture) former Director of UNEP DTIE and host of the REN21 Secretariat, had suggested this side event to take place during the third GEF Assembly in Cape Town. The event was chaired by Richard Hosier from GEF and Member of the REN21 Steering Committee.

Opening the event, Paul Suding from the REN21 Secretariat drew conclusions from the REN21 Global Status Report and the IAP follow up for renewable energy in developing countries.

The focus of the discussion turned specifically towards South Africa when Kevin Nassiep, CEO of SANERI and former Director in the Department of Minerals and Energy, gave an up-to-date and close insight into the renewable energy policies in South Africa.

The critical issues of renewable energy for energy access and renewable energy for low-income countries in particular was debated when John Titus, Acting Secretary from the Ministry of Mines and Energy in Namibia, presented the renewable energy strategy in Namibia, and when Hassan Wardi, the Sudanese CTA gave an account of the achievements of the UNDP-GEF supported project on photovoltaic (PV) market in Tanzania.

The presentations and the discussion reflected some very positive renewable energy development taking place in African countries, with indication that the policies undertaken could prove instrumental for improving energy access in some countries at a time when the energy supply situations has become critical, aggravated further by climate effects.