Since the announcement of the China-Africa Climate Declaration during the 8th FOCAC in November 2021, there has been a surge in efforts to comprehensively document Chinese climate-related projects in Africa. While existing information primarily focuses on Chinese loans in energy and low-carbon sectors, a critical gap remains. Private investments, including PPPs, overseas funds, and aid projects, are significantly more difficult to follow and understand.
Recognising this need, Development Reimagined’s Climate Action Tracker was conceived to help fill this gap, in particular to support African governments and businesses to understand and ultimately engage with Chinese climate actors. It aims to:
- Identify various project types, such as investments, constructions, equipment supply, and aid projects.
- Set out distribution across countries and sectors in more detail.
- Classify FOCAC commitments regarding completed projects or announcements of new projects.
- Inform future FOCAC 9 discussions and support countries and stakeholders with future engagements.
Tracker Overview
The Climate Action Tracker is an Excel-based, searchable database covering China’s climate-related projects in African countries. The time range spans from November 2021, with regular updates leading up to FOCAC 9 in 2024.
We define climate actions as all the business engagements from Chinese stakeholders to address and respond to climate changes in Africa, and the identified sectors are Renewable Energy, Clean Technology, Clean Transportation, and Climate-friendly Infrastructure.
It is important to be clear that all the information in the database is already public. Major sources include official press releases from stakeholders, industry websites (e.g., Belt and Road Project Portal, China International Contractors Association), and leading media outlets and databases globally.
Apart from the projects deals already signed or under pipeline, there are also active engagements between Chinese and African stakeholders, which reveal a more promising future for the long term, which has also been classified separately as “Climate Exchanges”.
Climate Actions in the Past 2 Years
As of November 24, 2023, the Climate Action Tracker has identified 95 climate projects in Africa with Chinese participation. The data reflects clear evidence of acceleration, with ten projects in 2022 and a remarkable 85 projects in 2023.
What’s the Climate Projects About?
- Renewable energy projects account for over half of the projects (55.32%), with climate-friendly infrastructure leading at 24.47%.
- 27 projects have been completed, with others in the contract signing or construction phase.
- 32 African countries are involved, with Western Africa, South Africa, and East Africa dominating.
- Top destination countries include Nigeria (14), Kenya (8), and the DRC.
The Role of Chinese Stakeholders
- 75 out of 95 projects are delivered by EPCs.
- 11 projects are financed by Chinese stakeholders, including development bank finance, enterprise investments, and government aid.
- 6 involve equipment supply deals or donations, while 3 are technology transfer projects.
Who Financed those Projects?
Finance details are available for 66 out of 95 cases, revealing diverse funding sources.
- 23 solely funded by Chinese entities.
- 15 funded by African entities.
- 19 involve contributions from multiple parties, including those that are co-invested by Chinese, African, and other development partners.
“Climate Exchanges”: Unveiling the Next Steps of Climate Cooperation
Beyond signed or pipeline deals, the data also highlights actively ongoing engagements between China and African stakeholders, indicating a promising future. High-level conferences or visits have predominantly facilitated agreements and MOUs, while there’s a rising trend in capacity building, both delivered by the Chinese public and private sectors.
We invite you to explore the Climate Action Tracker, a tool that promises to enhance your insights into Chinese climate business engagements in Africa. This database offers a unique and detailed perspective, serving as an essential resource for stakeholders like yourself.
Please fill out this short form to explore more of our Climate Action Tracker and receive updates from our team.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or if you’d like further assistance in navigating the tracker: yikefu@developmentreimagined.com
February 5th 2024
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