1. Introduction

Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) calls for universal access to sustainable, affordable, reliable, and modern energy for all by 2030 including communities affected by displacement. Rapid progress is required to achieve this ambitious goal.

Renewable energy is clean energy that does not pollute the environment and is a key strategy for improving energy security. Without power, you cannot use a phone, a computer, or modern technologies. Approximately 77% of Africa's total energy consumption is currently sourced from fossil fuels, not renewables.

2. Accessibility to green energy is a fundamental right

In climate justice replacing the current fossil fuel-based energy system with a renewables-based system is the most urgent and efficient way to tackle harmful emissions and air pollution.   In many parts of the world, renewable energy technologies particularly wind and solar are already more cost-effective than fossil fuels.  Fossil fuels like coal and petroleum are the main drivers of global warming.

The climate story in Africa is not primarily about emissions. It is about people, economies and development pathways that are being reshaped by climate change. For African governments, adaptation is not a technical climate sector, it should be a foundation of economic development planning for each country.

On one side, we cannot ignore that for Africa accessibility to energy is still a challenge but also a right because renewable energy is a power generated from natural, unlimited sources like the sun, plants that produce biofuels, wind, water, and geothermal heat. In some countries, sugarcane and other crops are used to make fuel for vehicles. This means Africa has a vast renewable energy resources that can supply the continent's growing energy demand.  It is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, which are finite and contribute to pollution and climate change. Health damage from climate change and pollution, will continue to cause an estimated $38 trillion annually by 2050, the impact  reduces life expectancy, and reduces GDP, with air pollution alone costing $6 trillion annually. 

3. Shifting toward renewable energy

Sources of renewable energy include sun, plants, and water, and it is frequently used to generate electricity, heat or cool water, transport people, and provide rural energy services. Renewable energy projects such as solar, wind, and biomass benefit local communities by fostering energy independence, creating jobs, and boosting local economies through tax revenue and investment. Shifting to renewable energy is challenging due to the massive need for infrastructure investment ($4 trillion/year to reach 2050 goals).  Renewable energy requires the use of significant amounts of land. Wind turbines must be spaced out evenly across farms, which means they cannot be tucked into small spaces. 

In Rwanda renewable energy started to bring positive change to Rwanda’s poverty problem. Rwanda’s energy access rate climbed from 10% in 2010 to 51% in 2020, with 37% using on-grid systems and 14% utilizing off-grid systems Over the last 30 years, Rwanda has increased electricity access, from 1% in the 1990’s to 83% in 2025. Electricity generation became a mix depending on different power plants including cross-border shares. 51% from thermal sources, followed by hydro sources (43.9%) and the additional is from solar sources at 4.2%. Rwanda generated 62.3% of its power via renewable means, and the nation has created means to fight poverty in three main ways using these sustainable energy solutions. Using solar panels is more economically viable than using fossil fuels. The cost of renewable energy in Rwanda is a major reason for its success in alleviating poverty. Renewable energy in Rwanda has improved access to basic services for impoverished communities. Reliable electricity, for many impoverished people in Rwanda, is a lifeline that has been extended thanks to the advent of renewable energy. Basic services like electricity, step by step, will improve this accessibility further and will make Rwanda develop faster than it already is.

It is not a secret that renewable energy can help fight against poverty. In fact, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lists pursuing a “green economy” as one of the main priorities of Rwanda’s economic transformation.  Renewable energy serves not only as a solution to the world’s environmental challenges but also as a means to fight against poverty. As Rwanda uses free resources like wind and sunlight to light up homes and power industries, the nation certainly has a bright future in store.

Rwandans are encouraged to use their rooftops to generate electricity by installing solar panels. These systems are now much more affordable than they used to be. Today, all Rwandans are encouraged to use the sun to generate power for cooking, heating water, and other daily needs.

The adoption of renewable energy by African communities, is not only an urgent energy solution, but also a healthy one too. Air pollution, which scientists say was partly contributed to by dirty cooking fuels and coal was the second leading risk factor for deaths across Africa in 2020, claiming 1.1 million lives, with 63 per cent of the deaths attributed to household air pollution.

As a justice matter, energy access, African countries should:

1. Assess the availability of local renewable resources
2. Invest in renewable energy infrastructures.
3. Invest in technology innovation and academic research
4. Set up policy support and regulatory frameworks.
5. Strengthen global cooperation and collective action.

For energy access, Africa should recognize and work hard on the issue of the cost, work on the general inclusion of people.

4. Conclusion

In the context of an equitable and just energy transition, social justice goes far beyond the basic provision of energy, it calls for an equitable distribution of resources and opportunities, ensuring that the most vulnerable sections of society are not left behind. Leadership in Africa is still a big challenge in lacking of transparency and accountability. Without peace and stability, it will be a disaster, Africa will not reach resilience, without transparence in managing climate finance, it will not be possible to access reliable energy. Resilience is rooted in empowered communities and strengthened local institutions. African Faith Actors Network for Climate Justice (AFAN-CJ) should continue to promote all local initiatives related to environmental and social safeguards of the planet particularly to support the deployment of electric mobility in order to reduce carbon emissions by promoting use of different modes of electric mobility, reduce petroleum import bill, increasing domestic electricity demand and addressing urban air pollution.

5. References

1) Beathe Mukakalisa, Renewable energy and energy supply deficit in Rwanda, 2022, https://dr.ur.ac.rw/bitstream/handle/123456789/2418/MUKAKALISA%20Beathe.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

2) Rwanda’s Energy Transition: New Tariffs, Clean Power, New Questions https://rwandadispatch.com/from-tariffs-to-clean-energy-how-rwandas-energy-sector-is-faring/

3) Energizing Rwanda’s development , https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2024-09/Energizing%20Rwanda%E2%80%99s%20Development.pdf

4) Energy policy in Rwanda, https://www.mininfra.gov.rw/index.php?eID=dumpFile&t=f&f=118271&token=d00c119512f0e0c499d75c71a85026c8e12d11f5

5) A just energy transition for communities, https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2025/Jan/IRENA_Just_energy_transition_Sub-Saharan_Africa_2025.pdf

6) Natural gas in Africa: Why fossil fuels cannot sustainably meet the continent’s growing energy demand, https://climateactiontracker.org/publications/natural-gas-in-africa-why-fossil-fuels-cannot-sustainably-meet-the-continents-growing-energy-demand/

7) How Can Africa Harness Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development? https://clgglobal.com/how-can-africa-harness-renewable-energy-for-sustainable-development/