1. Why batteries won’t trump rails

Growth in electric vehicles is promising to change public transportation, freeing African cities from smoke-belching buses. Honk-honk to celebrate!

• But the battle for cleaner air won’t be won with battery-powered vehicles alone. 

The crux: Congestion and pollution cannot be banished without also resorting to a much older technology: Rails. 

The news: Recent investments in rail systems in African cities are having a profound impact. 

• Lagos metro offers dramatically reduced journey times.

More & more: After decades of minimal focus on rail infrastructure, investment is growing. 

• The Dakar electric BRT network is set to be in operation in the middle of this year.

• Work on the $1.5 billion Ivory Coast Metro Project will also be completed in 2024.

Horses for courses: A variety of technologies are being used to fit different urban needs.

• The mix of options include trams, metros, monorails and suburban networks.

The benefits: Urban rail reduces greenhouse gas emissions per passenger by up to 7 times compared to cars. It also impacts landscapes less than roads. However, it’s expensive.

An alternative: Bus Rapid Transit systems (BRTs) cost less, and while not as effective as rail they still outperform single vehicles. 

• BRTs run omnibuses on separate lanes of regular roads. 

• Diesel-powered BRT emissions are more than double those of a tram. Even a fully electric BRT has 17% higher lifetime emissions.

• In countries with a carbon-intensive energy mix, a tram's carbon footprint over 30 years is still lower than that of a BRT system. 

Why it matters: Air pollution is a major cause of death in Africa, and getting worse. 

• Private vehicle ownership climbed from under 50 per 1,000 people at the start of the century to over 200 per 1,000 by 2015.

The future: Transportation challenges will further intensify in the coming years. 

• By 2050, urban populations are expected to soar from 600 million to over 1.3 billion.

• Transport contributes 25% to African energy-related emissions (2% below the global average).

Greatest need: Kinshasa is the largest African city not to have urban rail transport. 

• Among African cities lacking light-rail that also have terrible traffic, Nairobi ranks top.

The map: North and South Africa are the rail pioneers. Cairo has had a metro since 1987. 

• East Africa is lagging but Addis Ababa opened a light rail line in 2015.

• In Central Africa, Douala and Yaoundé are developing tram networks.

Nigerian dichotomy: While the new Lagos rail line is groundbreaking, its dysfunctional $823-million counterpart in Abuja has been labelled 'Nigeria’s Train to Nowhere'.

Key lessons: Pay attention to best-in-class strategic planning and local urban dynamics. 

• Rail networks are highly complex. Reductions in congestion and pollution come at a price. But it’s worth paying.

2. New guns are trained on farming targets

Agriculture has long been the stepchild of Africa’s green economy. It matters greatly to climate action, yet has so far received proportionately little investment or attention.  

• 250 million small-hold farmers produce 70% of all food on less than a hectare each.

• And agrifood systems generate about 30% of emissions globally.

The news: Approaches to sustainable agriculture in Africa are undergoing a belated revolution. The focus is no longer just on addressing the impact of climate change but has expanded to offering innovative remedies.

New champions: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) is now urging the sector to see itself as a solution in the climate crisis. 

• Kaveh Zahedi, director of FAO’s Office of Climate Change, speaks of “energy-smart agriculture”.

• He says, “Farms don't just have to be producers of food. They can be generators of renewable energy… for the greenhouses, for pumping water, for irrigation, or energy that can be shared into the grid, or better using agricultural waste, turning it into fuels, into biofuels.”

Beyond farming: Smart agriculture is far from limited to traditional fields and stables. 

• An example is the use of biochar, carbonised biomass obtained from organic waste, sequestered in soils to enhance their agricultural and environmental value. 

• Startups like Biosorra, which launched its biochar production facility last November, and Bio-Logical, which secured $1 million to build its own facility, plan to transform agricultural waste into biochar in Kenya, eventually sequestering thousands of tonnes of CO2. 

Tech transfer: Some innovation arrives from outside the continent.

• An example is “enhanced rock weathering”. The technology, using mineral-rich rock such as basalt, can sequester carbon in fields and return nutrients to tired soil.

• Basalt is waste produced in extractive industries. UK company UNDO is beginning trials in East Africa. 

Oldies but goldies: In other areas, well-known but forgotten ideas are making a return.

• The U.S. global food security envoy is pushing to bring back traditional African crops that American policies helped to sideline.

Missing investment: While 5% of global renewables funding goes to Africa, in agriculture it’s only 1%. And that’s not necessarily focused on what’s sustainable. Why? 

The missing part: Innovations must get closer to working farmers. 

• WFP says, “There has been a lack of incentives in supporting isolated farmers to change their behaviour.”

• One promising approach, pioneered by Boomitra, is to involve farmers improving soil in carbon markets. 

• Capital also needs to be patient, such as what’s done at ARAF.

The change: Substantial amounts of new money are becoming available this year to find solutions.

• The World Bank has committed $100 million to climate smart agriculture (through CGIAR, the world’s largest publicly funded agricultural research network). 

• The Green Climate Fund, associated with the UN, has announced $100 million for agriculture to improve African smallholder access to technology and more. 

• The Global Resilience Partnership has created a well-funded innovation challenge.

3. Q&A: Climate leaders with answers

Michelle Kagari is the Senior Director for Government Relations and Policy at Tupande by One Acre Fund.

Q: How do you see the agriculture sector in 10 years in East Africa? A: One Acre Fund's recently published Global Croptake which paints a grim picture for the agriculture sector in 10 years if we don't take collective action now. If we remain on our current trajectory, we will see declining crop yields, further soil degradation, and a staggering rise in hunger and malnutrition.

Q: What is the most pressing challenge regarding agriculture in Africa? A: Real change requires a systems approach with multiple interventions. We need governments to urgently establish the enabling environments, financing to implement and drive adoption while providing safety nets and innovations designed for the realities farmers face in Africa.

Q: What is the best example that you have of people fighting climate change in the agricultural sector? A: COP28 showcased collective action across different sectors and communities. Innovative companies like Burn Manufacturing are transforming the clean cooking space. TomorrowNow, a tech company is leveraging tech to provide weather-based intelligence to communities impacted by climate change. Barefoot College International has reimagined education for rural women, leveraging their agency to drive solutions to climate challenges...and so many more.

Q: What work are you most proud of in relation to climate change? A: Through our engagement with governments, we ensure that farmers' voices are front and centre in climate change initiatives.

4. Media monitoring

• Kick-off: Zambia’s first green bond raises $54m in a fully subscribed initial tranche, out of $200m.

• Boost: Vista Group Holding backed by the African Guarantee Fund will deploy around $80m to green SMEs in West Africa.

• Overstepping: A controversial study identifying “pervasive over-crediting” in the cookstove industry passes peer review.

• E-bikes: Rwandan company Ampersand secures $19.5m investment to expand operations. 

• Carbon outlet: A Danish carbon removals platform acquires 950 direct air capture units from Octavia Carbon in Kenya.

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Thanks to the Green Rising team for putting this together.