This article is sponsored by UN ECA
The panel, moderated by ECA Deputy Executive Secretary Antonio Pedro, convened experts from the public and private sectors to explore learnings, challenges and opportunities related to green investments on the continent.
Adalgisa Barbosa Vaz, Cape Verde’s Deputy Minister for Business Development, shared relevant insights from her country’s experience in negotiating a $150m debt-for-nature swap with Portugal.
The agreement will see Portugal exchange the debt it is owed by Cape Verde for investment into the archipelago’s environmental and climate fund.
Vaz noted that the process relied on strong collaboration between the two governments, enabling them to structure the agreement in three years. She also credited the private sector and NGOs for enabling the deal.
But does Cape Verde’s example have applicability in other parts of the continent? And what lessons can other African countries learn from this?
The panel chair turned to representatives from the government of Zimbabwe, which, in March, announced an agreement with independent power producers (IPPs) for the provision of renewable energy.
The agreement builds on a project announced December…
