Empowering Development: Implementation of the new European Consensus on Development in energy cooperation

Implementation of the new European Consensus on Development in energy cooperation, December 2017, Staff Working Document SWD (2017)482 issued on 15.12.2017

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Sustainable energy is fundamental to social and economic development and to power sustainable growth. It is needed to improve livelihoods in developing countries, ensuring access to clean water, cooking, education and healthcare for their people. Energy poverty is also among the root causes of migration for those in search of better livelihoods, whereas sustainable energy powers industry and agriculture. It gives rise to novel business models and services, to creating prosperity, jobs and opportunities at home. At the same time, ensuring that energy is sustainable is essential to protect ecosystems and public health.

'Empowering development' constitutes a response to this complex challenge: it contributes simultaneously to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 —'access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030'— as well as to SDG 13 on Climate Action and the Paris Agreement1.

This Staff Working Document (SWD) explains how energy cooperation contributes to the implementation of the new European Consensus on Development2. In particular, it takes forward the special focus the new Consensus puts on the close coordination of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development3 (2030 Agenda) key themes for People: increasing access to affordable energy, Prosperity: benefitting from the high potential of the sustainable energy sector for growth and job creation, both directly (sustainable energy value chain) and through productive uses; and Planet: tackling climate change and addressing environmental degradation.

The SWD also draws on the new Consensus Partnership objective, through fostering common action of the EU and its Member states and inclusive multi-stakeholder partnerships for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Good examples are the renewed impetus of the Africa-EU Partnership4, the Global Strategy on the EU's Foreign and Security Policy5, and the Energy Union6, including its Research and Innovation pillar. The SWD also takes into account the Council Conclusions adopted on 28 November 20167 and 6 March 20178.

Although the approach laid out in this SWD applies to all development cooperation countries, particular attention is paid to the cooperation with Africa, which represents a privileged partner. Europe and Africa's fates are interlinked. Africa is as close as 15 kilometres to Europe. Access to affordable and reliable energy services is limited and remains a critical challenge to economic growth and industrialisation in the continent. Africa's energy sector presents vast business and investment opportunities and thus a significant potential for boosting growth and jobs, both domestically as well as in Europe, for example in the field of renewable energy technologies where the EU aspires to be a global leader.