Letter from Africa: The path to net zero requires LNG

Africa’s unique energy access challenges mean LNG will be an essential bridging fuel for the transition

Even as global leaders lined up at Cop26 to affirm their commitment to reaching net zero by 2050, the first energy scare of the ‘green era’ had yet to subside. The recent surge in energy prices exposed the inadequate investment in renewables, and there is a widespread lack of understanding about the transitional use of fossil fuels needed to reach net zero. For African countries—where access to electricity languishes at around 45pc—an answer exists in the form of LNG. More than 600mn Africans did not have access to electricity in 2018, according to the UN Development Programme, and those that do have access often have an unreliable, irregular and expensive supply. Traditional and heavily pol