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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Dr. Doto Biteko, has reaffirmed Africa’s commitment to tackling climate change by prioritizing the transition to clean energy.
He emphasized that although Africa contributes minimally to global pollution, the continent remains at the forefront of addressing climate change by integrating it into legal and regulatory frameworks.
This includes moving away from polluting energy sources in favor of cleaner alternatives to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
Dr. Biteko made these remarks on March 4, 2025, while opening the preliminary meeting ahead of the East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition (EAPCE’25), which officially commences tomorrow.
The meeting serves as a platform for discussing policies and strategies aimed at accelerating the adoption of clean energy, particularly in cooking and transportation through compressed natural gas (CNG).
He stressed that EAPCE’25 presents a crucial opportunity for East African Community (EAC) member states and industry stakeholders to collaborate on transitioning to sustainable energy solutions.
Scientific research has shown a significant increase in carbon emissions since the Industrial Revolution, with human activities being a major contributing factor. Dr. Biteko, therefore, urged participants to leverage the forum to explore innovative ways to shift towards cleaner energy sources.
He highlighted that recent legislation across Africa strongly supports green economies, carbon reduction efforts, and sustainable development.
The EAC, for example, has formulated a Climate Change Policy, demonstrating the region’s commitment to addressing climate change and promoting clean energy adoption.
He also pointed out the severe consequences of climate change, including extreme droughts, devastating floods, biodiversity loss, shrinking freshwater sources, glacial melting, and a rise in climate-related diseases such as skin cancer.
Climate change remains a global challenge, necessitating collective action through international agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol, the Montreal Protocol, and the Paris Agreement.
These treaties guide both developed and developing nations in implementing climate strategies, including shifting to clean and renewable energy sources like natural gas.
Addressing Africa’s energy deficit, Dr. Biteko noted that the continent faces the most significant energy access challenge, with 75% of the world’s energy-deprived population residing in Africa.
However, efforts are underway to bridge this gap, as demonstrated by the African Energy Summit held in Tanzania in January 2025.
The summit outlined strategic plans to provide electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030—a crucial step toward energy transformation.
On clean cooking energy, Dr. Biteko stressed the urgent need for change, as a large proportion of Africa’s population still depends on firewood and charcoal for cooking.
In Tanzania alone, approximately 81% of households rely on these traditional fuels, resulting in the loss of around 469,420 hectares of forest annually.
He described this alarming trend as unsustainable, calling for immediate and coordinated efforts to promote clean cooking solutions across the continent.
He further highlighted that President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been a champion of clean cooking energy both nationally and internationally.
Under her leadership, Tanzania has launched the National Clean Cooking Strategy (2024–2034), which aims to ensure that 80% of Tanzanians use clean cooking energy by 2034.
Dr. Biteko also underscored the importance of expanding the use of natural gas in the transportation sector.
He noted that the Tanzanian government is actively working to create a favorable environment for private investors to establish Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations while also enhancing regulatory frameworks to support clean energy expansion.
Supporting his sentiments, Deputy Minister for Energy, Judith Kapinga, stated that the preliminary meeting sets the stage for the 11th East African Petroleum Conference, which will officially begin tomorrow, March 5, 2025.
She emphasized that today’s discussions will serve as a foundation for the main conference, which will span three days and bring together stakeholders to address critical issues in the region’s oil and gas sector.
Additionally, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Engineer Felchesmi Mramba, noted that the oil and gas conference will run alongside an exhibition showcasing petroleum and gas products, as well as ongoing sector-related initiatives within EAC member states.
He explained that the conference aims to explore effective strategies for transitioning from environmentally harmful energy sources to cleaner alternatives, in alignment with global efforts to achieve large-scale clean energy adoption by 2050–2060.
Engineer Mramba further stated that participating countries will have the opportunity to present their progress in the oil and gas sector.
High-ranking officials, including Permanent Secretaries and Ministers, will discuss achievements, policy strategies, and developments since the last EAPCE conference.
He emphasized that EAPCE’25 will bring together leading experts, researchers, and innovators to explore oil and gas discoveries, available investment opportunities, and the auctioning of exploration blocks in EAC nations.
With climate change and energy transition becoming pressing global priorities, Dr. Biteko reiterated the importance of African nations taking decisive action.
He called for stronger collaboration between governments, private investors, and international partners to ensure that clean energy solutions become accessible and sustainable across the continent.