Policy Updates

A year-long campaign led by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has secured EUR15.5 billion (US$18.0 billion) to mobilize investments in renewable energy across Africa, along with additional commitments in clean energy generation and household electricity access, announced on November 21, 2025.

The EU led the pledging effort with more than EUR15.1 billion (US$17.5 billion), including contributions from multiple EU member states including Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Austria, and Ireland, as well as significant bilateral contributions by European financial institutions and development finance institutions, and estimated mobilized private investment. Alongside the campaign, the African Development Bank has pledged to allocate at least 20% of their 17th replenishment to renewable energy.

The campaign, organized in collaboration with Global Citizen and with policy support from the IEA, aimed to drive public and private investment in supporting Africa's clean energy transition, expand electricity access, and promote sustainable economic growth and decarbonized industrialization. The effort represented a step toward accelerating the global transition from fossil fuels to clean and sustainable energy.

Von der Leyen stated that the investment would turbocharge Africa's clean-energy transition, providing millions more people with electricity access and creating opportunities for thriving markets, new jobs, and reliable clean energy.

On October 11, 2024, the Danish government released a report with a proposal to allocate DKK15 billion (US$2.2 billion) to climate-focused research and innovation by 2030.

The report is titled Speeding up the green solutions of the future – A strengthened effort for green research, innovation and climate solutions. It highlights four main research areas: carbon capture, green fuels (Power-to-X), agriculture, and the circular economy.

The report follows the Agreement on a Green Denmark which was reached on June 24, 2024, which includes measures to help Denmark reach its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2030. This includes a DKK500 million (US$73 million) investment in green solutions for the agriculture and food industries. It also makes Denmark the first nation in the world to introduce a tax on CO2e from animal products.