• Tsaone Segaetsho
The Parliament of Botswana has joined its Southern African Development Community (SADC) counterparts in Angola since Monday to discuss renewable energy and energy sufficiency in the region.
The region has faced numerous power crises for years, with South Africa, the super economy and Botswana’s main importer, experiencing the worst, as load-shedding brings businesses to a standstill.
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Phandu Skelemani, this week led a legislative delegation to the 55th SADC Parliamentary Forum Plenary Assembly, which started on 1st July and is expected to end on 7th July 2024.
The main agenda is to discuss energy crises in the SADC region and the transition to using more renewable energy to save the planet. Legislators from the SADC region began the meeting this week under the theme, “Curbing Energy Shortage and Promoting Renewable Energy Policies In The SADC Region And Creating A Single Regional Energy Market.”
According to Parliamentary Spokesperson, Silas Sehularo, the regional parliament plenary session aims to promote inter-parliamentary cooperation, diplomacy, and solidarity among SADC member states and highlights the crucial role played by parliamentary institutions such as the SADC Parliamentary Forum and National Parliaments.
Sehularo stated that regional cooperation is essential when dealing with global topics like ESG planning and strategy, including climate change awareness.
He mentioned that this week that legislators will work on the adoption and implementation of renewable energy policies in the SADC region, with an emphasis on the strategies and action plan for renewable energy and energy efficiency from 2016 to 2030.
“Other issues expected on the agenda include the potential of renewable energies to catalyse socioeconomic development, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and promote energy independence in the SADC region, as well as identify strategies to improve cross-border cooperation, public-private partnerships, and stakeholder engagements to accelerate the transition to renewable energy and achieve global objectives of improving energy access, security, and efficiency in the SADC region,” the National Assembly said in a statement.
