{"id":416718,"date":"2025-12-09T18:04:29","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T17:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=416718"},"modified":"2025-12-09T18:04:31","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T17:04:31","slug":"african-energy-chamber-to-g20-fossil-fuel-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=416718","title":{"rendered":"African Energy Chamber to G20: Fossil Fuel Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Master Resource<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Robert Bradley Jr.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cThe time has come to \u2018drill, baby, drill\u2019 \u2013 responsibly, strategically and to meet the energy needs of hundreds of millions of Africans who still live in darkness.\u201d (- African Energy Chamber, below)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The recently concluded G20 Summit in Johannesburg barely mentioned climate change, just another victory for energy and climate realism in a world valuing affordability. But what was notable was the following memorandum from the African Energy Chamber (AEC) with the press release:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Ahead of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, the African Energy Chamber calls for renewed global investment in African oil and gas to drive industrialization, energy access and regional prosperity.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The 970-word memorandum, \u201cAfrica G20 Declaration: Let African Fossil Fuels Power Our Industrial Future<\/a>,\u201d follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the G20 convenes in Johannesburg, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) calls for a fundamental reorientation of global energy policy \u2013 one that places African fossil fuels at the center of energy security, industrial growth and poverty alleviation. For too long, policies rooted in ideology have sidelined our continent\u2019s vast energy potential. The time has come to \u201cdrill, baby, drill\u201d \u2013 responsibly, strategically and to meet the energy needs of hundreds of millions of Africans who still live in darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Africa holds enormous upstream potential. The AEC\u2019s 2026 Outlook projects oil and gas production to reach 11.4\u202fmillion barrels per day (bpd) by 2026, growing toward 13.6\u202fmillion bpd by 2030 as exploration gains momentum in frontier basins<\/strong>. Africa is expected to account for roughly $41\u202fbillion in global upstream capital expenditure by 2026, driven by major projects in Mozambique, Angola and Nigeria. Licensing rounds underway or planned into 2026 \u2013 across mature markets such as Angola, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Libya and Egypt, as well as emerging frontiers including Namibia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and South Africa \u2013 continue to attract explorers seeking new opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With proven gas reserves exceeding 620\u202ftrillion cubic feet<\/strong>, Africa is a critical supplier for both global gas markets and domestic energy development. Mozambique hosts multiple major LNG projects in its offshore Rovuma Basin, Senegal is advancing Phase\u202f2 of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project alongside Yaakar-Teranga, and Equatorial Guinea continues to develop its regional Gas Mega Hub, connecting stranded fields to onshore gas-processing infrastructure. Libya\u2019s re-emergence as a stable and attractive upstream environment has attracted the return of major international players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Uganda and Tanzania are progressing with the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, reflecting a regional commitment to integrated infrastructure and long-term production. In South Africa, coal remains central to energy security, even as the country pursues gas exploration and investment to complement industrial growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the G20 Africa Energy Investment Forum in Johannesburg on Friday, South Africa\u2019s Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe emphasized the country\u2019s approach: \u201cDrill, baby, drill. We have no legal restriction on oil and gas exploration and exploitation in South Africa. If we make a breakthrough on oil and gas, our GDP will grow exponentially. Our people will never breathe fresh air in darkness.\u201d His remarks underscore that unlocking South Africa\u2019s fossil-fuel potential is critical not just for energy access, but for industrial development, job creation and national economic growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet despite this massive potential, restrictive global financing frameworks threaten to choke off investment where it is needed most. The World Bank\u2019s fossil-fuel lending ban and risk-averse policies by many Western banks risk sidelining projects just as the continent requires them to support industrial clusters, domestic electrification and gas infrastructure. Restoring capital flows is a once\u2011in-a-generation opportunity: it will allow Africa to harness its natural resources to lift millions out of energy poverty, drive industrialization and secure its energy future, all while strengthening global energy security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exploration must accelerate, as it remains the cornerstone of Africa\u2019s energy future. New upstream investment is essential for powering industrial growth, and natural gas must serve as the backbone of this transformation. The G20 should champion financing for exploration rather than penalize it, because neglecting gas condemns millions to continued energy poverty. Around 600\u202fmillion Africans currently lack electricity, while 900\u202fmillion have no access to clean cooking solutions<\/strong>. Gas is not merely a transitional fuel \u2013 it is a lifeline for industrialization, domestic energy access and economic development. Strategic investment in gas can unlock power for cities, factories and households alike, bridging the continent to a cleaner, more productive future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chamber applauds the United States for its landmark $4.5\u202fbillion financing commitment to Mozambique\u2019s LNG project, demonstrating that G20 nations can invest in African fossil fuels responsibly and profitably. This investment proves that upstream and gas projects can deliver long-term economic growth, energy access and industrialization across Africa. Yet far more financing at this scale is urgently needed to unlock the continent\u2019s full energy potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The International Energy Agency must reset its projections. Current forecasts undervalue Africa\u2019s hydrocarbon resources and ignore the role gas can play in driving energy access, job creation and industrial capacity. The persistent stigmatization of fossil fuels must end. Transition rhetoric alone is insufficient: meaningful action requires aligned funding, supportive policy and genuine respect for Africa\u2019s energy priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chamber also applauds U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright\u2019s support for LPG and clean-cooking solutions as a practical, scalable method to improve energy access. The G20 has rightly recognized LPG as a key priority area for Africa, highlighting its potential to provide immediate, reliable energy for millions of households. But clean cooking is only one piece of the puzzle. Much more needs to be done to unlock Africa\u2019s full energy potential. The continent deserves a comprehensive energy mix: LPG, gas-to-power, modular GTL, and large-scale natural gas development, all working together to drive industrialization, power cities and support sustainable economic growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

African governments are ready. Countries from Angola to Egypt, Nigeria to Senegal, and Libya to Mozambique are implementing reforms to attract capital through licensing rounds, stable fiscal terms and pragmatic regulation. We stand prepared to deliver enabling environments: local content development, cross-border infrastructure, and strategic partnerships to support long-term growth. But we need capital; we need technology; and we need a global financial system that supports development, not punishes it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We reject calls to phase out fossil fuels under the guise of climate virtue, which only threatens Africa\u2019s prosperity and keeps millions locked in energy poverty. Instead, we demand a just energy future powered by African resources, built by African workers and delivering tangible benefits to communities. We call on the G20 to make fossil-fuel development a central pillar of its Africa policy, unlocking financing, dismantling ideological barriers, promoting exploration and investing in the gas infrastructure that will energize homes, industries and economies across the continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Critical Comment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is far past time for African nations to remove the yoke of Statism with a major expansion of private property rights, voluntary exchange, and the rule of law<\/em>. Such will depoliticize energy and make inter-government financing (such as the Mozambique\u2019s LNG project) unnecessary. Fossil fuel projects should not be banned or discouraged or subsidized by government<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Privatization of the subsoil to get mineral royalties to the landowners and other private parties instead of (corrupt, crony) governments is a related imperative. \u201cThe new oil market,\u201d\u00a0stated<\/a>\u00a0Guillermo Yeatts (1937\u20132018),<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

only presents individuals with the incentives to embark on efforts to bring about growth and increased productivity. This change is about unobstructing minds and freeing them from restrictions. It appeals to the initiative of thousands of surface owners who will discover new business opportunities and new means to obtain profits.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Power to the people!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The recently concluded G20 Summit in Johannesburg barely mentioned climate change, just another victory for energy and climate realism in a world valuing affordability. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":416721,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"Explore the G20 Summit's call for investment in African fossil fuels to drive industrialization and energy access across the continent.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"G20 Summit 2025: Unlocking Africa's Energy Potential with Fossil 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