Canada will provide $150 million in support for renewable energy in Africa minister of environment and climate change, Catherine McKenna, announced at a G7 African Renewable Energy Initiative session during the COP21 climate talks in Paris Monday.
The pledge is part of the African Renewable Energy Initiative, an ambitious plan to bring 10 GW of renewable energy to the continent by 2020 and scale that up to 300 GW by 2030.
“Here in the city of lights, it is impossible to accept the fact that millions of household in Africa are still in the dark,” McKenna said.
Africa is home to more than 640 million people without electricity and an additional 120 million that rely on firewood and charcoal for fuel. In sub-Saharan African two out of three people have no access to electricity.
“However it is possible to change this,” McKenna said, adding renewable energy is not only efficient but can also reduce poverty.