Senegal has taken a new step forward in the implementation of its Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), signed in June 2023 with the International Partners Group (IPG). An inclusive workshop held in Dakar brought together officials from the Ministry of Petroleum, Gas and Mines, government representatives including the Director of Energy Transition, technical and financial partners, and several civil society actors to discuss national ambitions, governance challenges and the financing of the €2.5 billion earmarked to support the transition in Senegal.
Civil society calls for greater representation
In her opening remarks, Dr Fatima Diallo, coordinator of the Platform of Civil Society Actors for a Just Energy Transition (PACTEJ), emphasised the urgency of building a community-centred transition. ‘The energy transition can only be conceived with the communities and by effectively taking into account local realities and differentiated vulnerabilities,’ she said. She called for greater representation of civil society in the JETP steering committee, greater involvement of local authorities and the creation of a permanent space for dialogue.
Inclusion and equity at the heart of the process
Technical and financial partners also emphasised the need for an inclusive approach. Ludovica Marangoni, representative of German cooperation (GIZ), reiterated her institution’s commitment: “One of the main objectives of the partnership is to make the energy transition more inclusive, in particular by giving women and young people a central role. “ She assured that the recommendations from the workshop would be incorporated into the implementation of the JETP.
Transition as a driver of development
For the government, the energy transition goes beyond environmental issues. Yaye Cathérine Diop Dieng, Director of Energy Transition at the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, said: ‘A just energy transition in Senegal is not only an environmental issue, it is also a matter of social and economic development.’ She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to achieving universal access to energy by 2050 and announced that regular meetings with civil society would be organised to ensure transparency and follow-up.
Funding under scrutiny
Discussions focused in particular on the nature of JETP funding, estimated at €2.5 billion (1,635 billion CFA francs). Against a backdrop of an acute public debt crisis revealed by an audit report from the Court of Auditors, Awa Traoré, International Consultant, Climate and Strategic Communication Expert, warned of the risks associated with this financing because, in her view, financing a just energy transition that will increase Senegal’s public debt base will only slow down the implementation of the projects planned by the JETP. Added to this are generally unfavourable loan conditions or cumbersome procedural requirements. Finally, she stressed the importance of strengthening the legal and institutional framework for the renewable energy ecosystem in order to attract and promote private investment in this sector.
In the same vein, Elimane Kane of Legs Africa called for the publication of the JETP investment plan. In his view, transparency is a guarantee of public confidence and an essential condition for shared governance of the process.
A milestone in the dialogue between the State and civil society
This workshop marked a key step in the dialogue between the State and civil society on the energy transition. All participants agreed on the need to maintain a framework for regular consultation in order to monitor the commitments made and ensure that the benefits of this energy transformation are shared equitably among all populations.
