By Business Insider Correspondent, Addis Ababa
The Vice President, Dr. Philip Mpango, has placed energy transition at the centre of the country’s climate change response, pledging deeper investments in renewable energy as part of Africa’s wider green growth agenda.
Speaking at the African Heads of State Summit on Climate Change in Addis Ababa earlier in the week, Dr. Mpango outlined Tanzania’s strategy to scale up hydropower, solar, geothermal, and wind energy projects. He said natural gas will serve as a “clean transitional fuel,” supporting industrialisation while underpinning a national clean cooking programme that targets 80 percent household adoption by 2034.
“Tanzania remains committed and looks forward to working with all stakeholders to advance these continental ambitions,” Dr. Mpango told delegates, reaffirming his country’s support for Africa’s goal of connecting 300 million people to electricity by 2030.
That target was first agreed at the Africa Energy Mission 300 Summit held in Dar es Salaam earlier this year.
Beyond electricity, Dr. Mpango highlighted the role of the Blue Economy Policy in Zanzibar and the Strategic Blue Economy Plan on the Mainland, both designed to promote sustainable use of marine and coastal resources.
These frameworks, he said, are driving resilience in fisheries, tourism, and maritime transport while creating new green jobs.
The Addis Ababa summit – themed “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions and Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development” – brought together African leaders for the second time to craft joint responses to the climate crisis. Proceedings included a symbolic tree-planting ceremony, underscoring the importance of nature-based solutions.
Dr. Mpango was joined by a high-level Tanzanian delegation comprising Zanzibar’s Minister of State in the Second Vice President’s Office, Hamza Hassan Juma; Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Cosato Chumi; Permanent Secretary in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment), Engineer Cyprian Luhemeja; Ambassador to Ethiopia Innocent Shio; and technical experts. As climate change intensifies pressure on African economies, Tanzania’s message was clear: a just and inclusive energy transition is no longer optional, but essential for powering growth, protecting the environment, and improving the livelihoods of millions.
