Ethiopia moves to become Africa’s clean energy hub with $40 billion investment
Ethiopia unveiled a $40bn roadmap to build 71 power projects over the next ten years. Of those projects, 16 are hydro-power, 24 wind, 17 steam, and 14 are solar.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Algeria becomes world’s last country to officially end use of leaded gasoline
The world is officially rid of one particularly insidious fossil fuel that for decades was a major cause of public health problems in developing countries, especially in Africa.
35,000 Kenyan farmers unite to transform arid land into green farms
Farmers are learning how to make their degraded lands productive again after joining DryDev, a project led by World Agroforestry that has been working with farmers in Kenya, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mali and Niger since 2013.
Free education takes thousands of Congolese children out of mines and into the classroom
In 2019, the Democratic Republic of Congo became one of the last countries in the world to offer free primary education. The new scheme has now permitted four million children to go to school tuition-free.
Sierra Leone abolishes capital punishment
The decision to abolish capital punishment is a significant step forward for fundamental human rights in Sierra Leone and will be especially beneficial to women and girls found guilty of murdering an abuser.
Ethiopia to shift from beef to chicken production under updated climate plan
The government is promoting smaller livestock to limit the rise of methane emissions, in a plan that is 80% dependent on international finance.
Biggest China bank abandons $3 billion Zimbabwe coal plan
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd. told Go Clean ICBC that it won’t fund the 2,800-megawatt Sengwa coal project in northern Zimbabwe.
Gabon becomes first African country paid to protect its rainforest
The UN-backed Central African Forest Initiative (Cafi) has handed over $17m – the first tranche of a $150m deal struck in 2019.
Tanzania to offer alternative education for school dropouts including pregnant girls
Secondary school drop-outs in Tanzania will be offered the opportunity to resume studies in alternative colleges, part of a shift away from a disputed policy under which pregnant girls were expelled from school.
Sudan to ban female genital mutilation and allow non-Muslims to drink alcohol
Sudan will permit non-Muslims to consume alcohol and strengthen women’s rights, including banning female genital mutilation, in a reversal of almost four decades of hardline Islamist policies.