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In response to the rapidly increasing interest in biofuels in Africa the African Union Commission, the Government of Brazil and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) jointly organised the First High-Level Seminar on Biofuels in Africa on 30 July – 1 August 2007 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The COMPETE project actively supported this high-level seminar through the participation of COMPETE members as speakers, experts and session chairs. Prof. Francis Yamba, CEEEZ, Zambia, gave an introductory presentation on the COMPETE project highlighting the pre-requisites for sustainable biofuels development programmes. Mamadou Dianka, UEMOA, Burkina Faso, presented regional biofuels activities in Western Africa. Stanford Mwakasonda, ERC-UCT, South Africa, Dr. Ibrahim Togola, Mali-Folkecenter, Estomih Sawe, TaTEDO, Tanzania, Dr. Rocio Diaz.Chavez, Imperial College, UK, and Dr. Rainer Janssen, WIP, Germany, acted as experts in various thematic sessions of the biofuels seminar. More information on the First High-Level Seminar on Biofuels in Africa is available at www.africa-union.org/biofuel.htm As an outcome of the First High-Level Seminar on Biofuels in Africa an Addis Ababa Declaration on Sustainable Biofuels Development in Africa was formulated. Along the lines expressed in this Declaration the COMPETE project is committed to continue cooperation with the AU, the Government of Brazil, UNIDO and other interested stakeholders and support Sustainable Biofuels Development in Africa Seminar Background The First High-Level Seminar on Biofuels in Africa was organised within the overall framework of the 2004-2007 Strategic Plan of the African Union Commission that envisages, among others, the elaboration of a policy and strategies on new and renewable energy. The 8th Assembly of the African Union Commission meeting in Addis Ababa in January 2007, endorsing the measures adopted by the African Ministers in charge of Hydrocarbons (oil and gas) at their 1st Conference held in Cairo on 14 December 2006, requested the African Union Commission to elaborate policies and strategies for the development of clean, new and renewable energies, particularly biofuels, as an alternative solution to hydrocarbons, in response to the rise in oil prices which has adverse effects on the economies of African countries. The main objective of this seminar was to ensure that policy makers, private sector, regional institutions and other key stakeholders in the biofuels industry are in a position to take effective and informed decisions in developing biofuels policies, strategies, programs and projects in Africa. More specifically, the seminar had the following key objectives: - brief policy makers, the private sector, regional institutions and other key stakeholders on the potential and risks and trade-offs of developing biofuels in Africa;
- facilitate sharing of experiences in developing biofuels among countries in Africa and between Africa and Brazil and other countries and regions;
- explore the potential and challenges to the dissemination of priority biofuels technologies; and
- consult key stakeholders in developing a program of action for sustainable biofuels development.
During 2007 the COMPETE project will organise a seminar for South-South information exchange in Brazil (October 2007) and a 2nd International Workshop (November 2007 in Burkina Faso). As soon as the exact dates of these events are selected, all COMPETE Partners are informed and invited to take part in these events.
By Dr. Rainer Janssen |
