President Ruto calls for global commitment to renewable energy

President William Ruto has called on world leaders to commit to investing in renewable energy.

He spoke at the Global Renewables Alliance Summit, which took place on Tuesday, September 24, in New York.

He noted that almost 600 million Africans do not have access to electricity, which hinders the implementation of the Sustainable Development Agenda and the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Ruto explained that Africa has vast renewable energy resources but receives less than 2 per cent of global investment in the sector.

He stressed that the continent added less than 3 gigawatts of renewable energy last year, while the world achieved a record gain of almost 500 gigawatts.

During his speech, Ruto touched on the need to industrialise Africa and increase its economic growth to combat energy poverty.

He noted that unreliable and expensive energy limits Africa’s ability to use its resources for development.

“We need to create anchored industrial demand, driven by energy-intensive industries,” Ruto said.

Ruto unveiled the Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative (AGII), launched at COP28, which aims to increase the use of renewable energy on the continent.

He announced that an investment forum on renewable energy sources will be held in Nairobi next month.

He noted that the “Future Pact” adopted this week requires a commitment to addressing global financing gaps in renewable energy.

“The power of choice is in our hands—literally and figuratively. Let’s use it wisely and make it count!” he added.