This page is part of the E3G Public Bank Climate Tracker Matrix, our tool to help you assess the Paris alignment of public banks, MDBs and DFIs.
| Paris alignment | Reasoning |
| Paris aligned | Technical assistance to support NDCs, fossil fuel subsidy reform and green growth |
| Climate-related technical assistance at policy-level | NDC ambition increase goal? | Non-NDC technical assistance |
| Founded the NDC Hub and participates in the NDC Partnership | The Bank provides NDC ambition assistance, and NDC Hub aims to reach 2°C compatibility | Ample revenues for technical assistance based on the need expressed by member countries |
Explanation
Nationally determined contributions
At COP23, AfDB announced the launch of Africa NDC Hub, a platform to support countries to translate their “NDC into actions, without neglecting their development priorities” as well as coordinate between various organisations helping to increase NDC ambition throughout the continent by selecting priority projects and developing national frameworks to help drive ambition increases. We recommend that the bank make easily and publicly available success stories of NDC ambition raising and project completion.
The Hub has 18 partners including the AfDB. Member countries are provided with a one stop shop on technical assistance. The NDC Hub will also showcase the projects under implementation, with the view of marketing them and facilitating information for investors, particularly institutional investors. In addition, this is restated in the AfDB Climate Change Action Plan (2016-2020). The Bank is aligning its operations and financing to support countries to achieve NDCs. Several country support activities have been undertaken or are ongoing (Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Namibia, Mozambique, Seychelles) in collaboration with the NDC Partnership.
In addition, the Bank has been working in partnership with the Global Green Growth Institute since 2018. Their work involves helping countries develop green growth plans and scale-up green investments, address gaps or issues in current national plans and align plans with the implementation of NDCs and SDGs. The Bank is currently developing an African Green Growth Index, loosely based on their previous 2015 Index, to guide green development amongst member countries.
Fossil fuel subsidy reform
Furthermore, the AfDB has initiated several programmes to support energy subsidy reform including advice for Egypt, and Tanzania. In addition, the African Carbon Support Programme, in partnership with the Fund for African Private Sector Assistance, provides assistance for countries transitioning to low-carbon and renewable energy models. The Bank has partnered with SE4ALL to establish clean and affordable energy systems. However, it is not clear to what extent energy subsidy reform is a key part of advice for countries; and AfDB could explore comprehensively which member countries would benefit the most from energy subsidy reform.
Recommendation: The Bank should commit to their low-carbon energy work and exclude coal products from assistance.
Other technical assistance
To assist countries in the realm of infrastructure, the AfDB has teamed with the World Bank and UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) to found the Africa Climate Resilience Development Fund (AFRI-RES). AFRI-RES is designed as an “Africa-based networked centre of technical competence and excellence” to bring together various public and private agents for infrastructure projects across the continent. The network is based on four components: project-level assistance, particularly in water, energy, transport and agriculture; outreach and training; development of standards, guidelines and best practice for climate-resilient infrastructure; and compiling a climate knowledge database.
To further assist countries, the Bank’s non-lending African Natural Resources Centre provides practical knowledge, expertise, advisory services, advocacy and technical assistance on projects and programmes regarding natural resources, renewable and non-renewable. By doing so, the department hopes to maximise both development and climate resilience outcomes. The department assists countries such as South Sudan as well as regions such as ECOWAS and the Maghreb Region.
The SE4ALL Africa Hub which the bank hosts brings together representatives from key regional organisations to establish country level and regional energy plans. Through the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa and African Climate Technology Centre, the Bank facilitates technical and implementation assistance, notably for the development of green mini-grids (see chapter 16).
The Bank does not have a hard exclusion on coal, however, AfDB states to not have provided any technical assistance on coal.
Last Update: November 2020