{"id":77163,"date":"2021-11-05T16:00:16","date_gmt":"2021-11-05T14:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/africa-news\/southern-africa\/botswana\/u-s-uk-botswana-energy-partnership-commemorating-energy-day-at-the-cop26-climate-conference-in-glasgow-scotland\/"},"modified":"2021-11-05T16:00:16","modified_gmt":"2021-11-05T14:00:16","slug":"u-s-uk-botswana-energy-partnership-commemorating-energy-day-at-the-cop26-climate-conference-in-glasgow-scotland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/africa-news\/southern-africa\/botswana\/u-s-uk-botswana-energy-partnership-commemorating-energy-day-at-the-cop26-climate-conference-in-glasgow-scotland\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S.-UK-Botswana Energy Partnership: Commemorating Energy Day at the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow, Scotland"},"content":{"rendered":"

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On November 4, 2021, the British High Commission and the U.S. Embassy in Botswana commemorated Energy Day at the COP26 climate conference taking place in Glasgow, Scotland.\u00a0 The event was an opportunity to highlight Botswana\u2019s vast potential as a renewable energy producer and exporter.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

British High Commissioner Sian Price and U.S. Ambassador Craig Cloud, joined by the Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security (MMGE), the Honorable Lefoko Moagi, convened leaders of Botswana-based businesses, institutions, and civil society to celebrate the important work being done in Botswana to make concrete, meaningful progress toward global climate goals.\u00a0 Together, High Commissioner Price and U.S. Ambassador Cloud highlighted the pivotal moment of the COP26 climate conference to kick off a decisive and critical decade of action to confront the climate crisis. \u00a0They emphasized the scale of the opportunity for Botswana \u2013 economically and environmentally \u2013 to harness clean energy resources.<\/p>\n

High Commissioner Price emphasized the critical role of COP26 in advancing climate action around the world. \u00a0She noted the importance for all countries to step up in this moment of need, stating: \u201cToday, the World\u2019s Leaders are gathered together at COP26 in Glasgow for Energy Day, the theme of which is \u2018Accelerating the global transition to clean energy.\u2019 \u00a0To meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, the global transition to clean power needs to progress four to six times faster than at present. \u00a0What better time for us to come together as friends of Botswana than to celebrate the clean energy transition already underway here and encourage even greater levels of ambition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting upon the U.S.-Botswana bilateral energy partnership, Ambassador Cloud echoed world leaders by describing how the \u201cclimate crisis demands swift, ambitious and decisive action by all nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Botswana.\u201d\u00a0 He reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to support economic growth through climate progress for Botswana.\u00a0 The Ambassador championed Botswana\u2019s potential for solar power, particularly through USAID\u2019s Power Africa program.\u00a0 Lauding Power Africa programs like the game changing Mega Solar initiative and the innovative Rooftop Solar program that is already delivering energy security in Botswana, he highlighted the transformative economic opportunities for Botswana:\u00a0 \u201cBotswana could create thousands of jobs by harnessing solar energy to shift its economy from a net importer [of electricity] to a significant producer and exporter of renewable solar power.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through partnerships to harness the opportunities of Botswana\u2019s energy potential while meeting the challenges of the climate crisis, U.S.-UK-Botswana energy and climate cooperation has the potential to generate thousands of jobs in Botswana while averting millions of tons of CO2<\/sub>-equivalent emissions annually.<\/p>\n

Botswana has a unique opportunity as a major solar power producer:<\/p>\n