Latest news with #RachelKyte
CNBC
06-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
AI growth drains global energy supply, but is also part of climate solution: Expert
Rachel Kyte, Special Representative for Climate for the United Kingdom, shares her views on artificial intelligence, collaborating with key Asian allies, and the rise of green investments.
Sky News
18-03-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Climate action will make British people 'more secure', says UK envoy, after Badenoch claimed it would hit living standards
Climate action will make British people's lives more secure, the UK climate envoy has said. Rachel Kyte's comments come after Tory leader Kemi Badenoch claimed the country's key climate target would "bankrupt" the country and drive a drop in living standards. She told an audience this morning: "This government has a clear commitment to climate leadership at home and abroad. "Why? Because this is going to make British people more secure." She was appointed as the UK's special representative for climate last year by the current Labour government after it reinstated the role that the Tories had axed under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Ms Kyte said at a conference hosted by Chatham House thinktank today that climate action would boost Britons' security by protecting them from extreme weather like flooding, which has saturated farms and homes, and by encouraging other countries to do more to slow global warming. to be "impossible". Ms Badenoch said the target "can't be achieved without a serious drop in our living standards or by bankrupting us". 10:13 The Conservative leader did not publish analysis to support these claims, but they are at odds with findings from the UK's climate advisers, the Climate Change Committee (the CCC). Last month the CCC said reaching net zero would cost on average 0.2% of UK GDP a year until 2050, requiring upfront investment before saving money. That's because clean electric technologies like heat pumps and EVs, which will eventually replace gas boilers and petrol and diesel cars, run on electricity which will be cheaper than gas or petrol and diesel. Ms Badneoch's comments come in the wake of US President Donald Trump attacking US climate laws - rolling back nature protections and wrenching it out of the landmark Paris Agreement. His actions as head of the world's largest economy and second-biggest polluter have raised fears others may be emboldened to follow suit and ditch their own attempts to go green. But Ms Kyte, who as a diplomat does not comment on specific countries or parties, said conversations she has with other countries are about how they green their economies, not if. "There are no conversations about 'well, maybe we should take a pause in the energy transition'," she said. "It's a question of 'how do we learn from what's working? How do we push it forward?'." She was speaking on a panel alongside Ana Toni, chief executive of the COP30 climate conference in Brazil this year, who said the transition from fossil fuels to clean technology is "underway. It's inevitable".
Zawya
31-01-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Mission 300: Significant new donor pledges in support of the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa announced on margins of the Africa Energy Summit
Denmark, the United Kingdom, Spain and France have unveiled new or additional contributions to the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, demonstrating strong support for the African Development Bank ( fund as it expands energy access across Africa, including through the Mission 300 partnership. Another new donor – Japan –joined in December 2024 with a $5 million contribution under AGIA ( SEFA is a multi-donor Special Fund that provides catalytic finance to unlock private sector investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. It aims to contribute to universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy services for all in Africa in line with the New Deal on Energy for Africa and Mission 300. Mission 300 ( an ambitious new partnership of the African Development Bank Group, the World Bank Group and other development partners, aims to provide access to electricity to an additional 300 million Africans by 2030. France, a new donor to SEFA, will provide €10 million. Denmark, the UK and Spain will increase existing contributions by DKK 100 million (€13.4 million), £8.5 million (€10.13) and €3 million, respectively. France's contribution will bolster the Africa Green Infrastructure Alliance (AGIA) ( a platform of the African Development Bank, Africa 50 and other partners that will develop transformative sustainable infrastructure projects for investment. These contributions come as SEFA enjoyed its best year on record in 2024, with $108 million approved for 14 projects. SEFA now boasts a portfolio of over $300 million in highly impactful investments and technical assistance programmes, which is expected to unlock up to $15 billion in investments and deliver approximately 12 million new electricity connections. Denmark's Acting State Secretary for Development Policy, Ole Thonke, said: "Africa is endowed with enormous untapped potential for renewable energy, which can fuel green industrialisation. The latest Danish financial contribution to SEFA will focus on the newly established Africa-led Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa (APRA), further supporting the continent's ambitious development and climate goals." "We are halfway through this decisive decade to achieve the sustainable development goals and get on track to tackle climate change,' said Rachel Kyte, UK Special Representative for Climate, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. 'Achieving our collective goals of reliable, affordable and clean power is a golden thread that links economic growth, greater investment, strengthened resilience and climate ambition. By accelerating the roll-out of clean power, the UK and Mission 300 are putting green and inclusive growth at the heart of our partnerships with Africa. Our announcement of an additional £8.5 million in UK funding for the AfDB's SEFA will mobilise the much-needed private sector investment so that more Africans can access clean power right across the continent." Inés Carpio San Román, Alternate Governor of Spain for the African Development Bank, said, "We are pleased that Spain has decided to renew its support for the SEFA fund with a contribution of €3 million. This reaffirms our commitment to the crucial sector of renewable energy, which plays a key role in fostering sustainable development across Africa." "As a strong supporter of Africa's green infrastructure investments with financial tools that mobilise private finance, France is proud to contribute €10 million to the AGIA through SEFA,' stated Bertrand Dumont, Director General of the French Treasury and Governor for France at the African Development Bank. 'This very first contribution is our first step towards reinforcing Africa's sustainable development and accelerating the continent's path to a low-carbon economy. By investing in green infrastructure in Africa, we are investing for the future.' Dr Daniel Schroth, Director of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the African Development Bank, said, "We welcome the new commitments from donors whose support underscores the impactful work of SEFA. These contributions are essential in enabling SEFA to fulfil its role as a key delivery vehicle for Mission 300 at this pivotal moment." Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB). ABOUT SEFA: SEFA is a multi-donor Special Fund that provides catalytic finance to unlock private sector investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. SEFA offers technical assistance and concessional finance instruments to remove market barriers, build a more robust pipeline of projects and improve the risk-return profile of individual investments. The Fund's overarching goal is to contribute to universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy services for all in Africa, in line with the New Deal on Energy for Africa and the M300. About the African Development Bank Group: The African Development Bank Group is Africa's premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information:
