Third High-Level International Dialogue On Energy Transitions In Africa

Geopolitics and Global Shifts from Fossil Fuels to Renewable Energy: Assessing Africa’s Priorities, Opportunities and Barriers

The Southern African Resource Watch (SARW), in collaboration with its civil society partners and the Think 20 (T-20) , will host the Third High-level International Dialogue on Energy Transitions in Africa from September 15 to 17, 2025, in Livingstone, Zambia. This important gathering will explore the policies, practices, actors, and initiatives that influence the interface between the extraction and use of Africa’s abundant energy resources, including fossil fuels – oil, gas, and coal – and critical energy transition minerals (CETMs) such as graphite, copper, cobalt, manganese, nickel, lithium, and Rare Earth Elements. It will also examine the supply and demand factors shaped by the global decarbonisation agenda, trade disputes, and geopolitics.

The dialogue will shed light on some of the most challenging questions for Africa’s development trajectory, considering its mineral resource-driven economies, such as:

1. Critical Energy Transition Minerals and Renewable Energy Value Chains: Will African governments achieve their ambitions to realise the continent’s mineral-based industrialisation strategies using its abundant critical minerals and become a manufacturing hub for green technologies (EV batteries, and electrification (energy storage, solar panels, wind turbine)? What factors are holding Africa back on this path, and how can they be overcome, particularly the challenges of capital and electrification?
2. Geopolitics of CETMs: How can Africa turn the current geopolitics of CETMs to its advantage? What strategies and tactics could African governments employ to maximise fiscal and overall developmental benefits? What policy tools, such as national CETM Strategies and Lists, are available to fully capitalise on the current rush for CETMs, including domestic resource mobilisation strategies? What lessons can Africa draw from its history and other regions, such as East Asia, Latin America, the US, and the European Union? Is South Africa’s G20 Presidency an opportunity for increased African agency in utilising CETMs resources to promote an equitable and sustainable global energy transition? Towards a CETMs Special Envoy: Giving Diplomacy a Chance.
3. On Fossil Fuels: What is the future of oil, gas, and coal resources in Africa? Is there a looming risk of stranded fossil fuel infrastructure and assets on the horizon? How are fossil fuels policies and approaches in other regions influencing Africa’s position? Are fossil fuels sufficiently factored into national climate change mitigation strategies, such as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and adaptation plans?
4. On Sustainability, ESGs and Just Energy Transition (JET): Regarding ESGs and sustainability issues, what are the implications of an energy transition for local communities, indigenous people, workers, and the natural environment? How practical is the concept of JET in the African context? What could Africa learn from other regions, such as Asia and Latin America, concerning human rights due diligence, responsible and transparent sourcing of CETMs and JET?
5. On Philanthropy: Philanthropy plays a vital role in the sustainable and transformative development of the African continent. What role is Philanthropy playing to support Africa’s agenda on decarbonization, electrification (including affordable, reliable and clean energy access per SDG 7) and industrialisation? The question here is how to maximise the impact of Philanthropy in all areas of the energy transition at a time when official international development assistance is in a marked decline.

The international dialogue will be a melting pot of ideas, bringing together national, regional, and international participants, including fossil fuels and critical minerals producers, international organisations, philanthropies, academia, the private sector, communities, and civil society representatives. The diverse perspectives and experiences of the 80 participants from Africa, Australia, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East will enrich the discussions. Partners are invited to convene self-sponsored side events during the gathering period.

Strategic conversations will occur in plenary and focus group discussions, as well as during various networking opportunities between sessions.