EU-Africa Business Forum 2021
7 April 2021 | From 16 & 20-21 April 2021, the EU-Africa Business Forum, hosted by the European Commission, the African Union Commission and the Portuguese Presidency of the European Council, co-organised with the support of the Africa-EU Energy Partnership and the Africa Europe Foundation, will take place virtually.
The forum will kick off on 16 April with a high-level virtual event featuring representatives from the European Commission and the African Union Commission, development banks and private sector CEOs to discuss the rapid green energy transformation in Africa and how they will contribute to bridging the energy gap on the continent.
The event will feature keynote addresses from:
- Amani Abou-Zeid, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, African Union Commission;
- Augusto Santos Silva, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Portugal;
- Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President, European Commission.
The keynote speeches will be followed by a roundtable moderated by Kandeh Yumkella, co-chair of the Africa Europe Foundation Strategy Group on Energy, and will bring together policymakers, development bankers and CEOs from the European Union and Africa to discuss the green energy transition in the region.
Key topics include increasing the renewable energy share in Africa’s energy mix and access to sustainable energy services; promoting energy and resource efficiency; supporting policy and regulatory reforms, capacity building and technical assistance; leveraging private investments through blending and de-risking instruments; reinforcing Africa-EU business cooperation and public-private partnerships; and developing cutting-edge technologies through research and innovation.
From 20-21 April, the EU-Africa Business Forum features a Digital Marketplace for Green Energy Transition. This is a chance to dialogue, network and build new bridges in the green energy sector by participating in exhibitions, workshops, conferences and one-on-one meetings.