Africa is home to more than a dozen countries endowed with both the fossil fuels and mineral resources that are central to the global energy transition. Around the world, global powers are factoring in Africa’s hydrocarbons supplies and reserves of “critical” minerals to their own economic and geopolitical calculus. In their bids to build out their own clean energy supply chains, reconfigure their trade programs, and advance national security priorities, the United States, China, European countries, Persian Gulf countries, and others are all transforming their relationship with the Africa continent.

Hosted under our main Climate Change area of focus, our workstream on Africa’s Natural Resources examines the role of Africa’s natural resources on the continent’s international alignments, trade, and investment; how these paradigms affect the green transition in Africa and the around the world; and how African nations can capitalize on their natural resources to achieve their own development goals.