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Tech Industry Ready to Roll Up its Sleeves to Fight Climate Change at Africa Tech Festival

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4 years ago

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Climate Change

The ICT sector has traditionally been a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions as data centres, for example, contribute to 2% of global GHG

LONDON, United Kingdom, September 16, 2022/APO Group/ — 

“Africa has sufficient resources to power itself entirely by clean energy. Therefore, the question for most of the continent is not one of transitioning to clean energy or reducing emissions in power generation, but how to effectively finance the development of clean energy in the continent.” Kellie Murungi Chief Investments Officer, East African Power

Each year, Africa Tech Festival (https://bit.ly/3Uj7v5I) addresses some of the most pertinent and pressing issues facing the African continent’s socio-economic future and the role that technology and communications’ play in facilitating this progression. One of the more burning issues that will be addressed is climate change, and with International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer happening on 16 September, there’s no better time than to look beneath the hood and see what is on offer at this year’s event.

There had been rumblings from scientists about the dangers of household products and appliances to the ozone layer for many years. Lined up as potential public enemies were toiletries such as aerosols and shaving foams, as well as pulsing products the likes of fridges and air-conditioners, all of which were believed to be causing damage to the ozone layer. As is the case with most warnings from the scientific community, everyone ignored it until theory became reality in 1985, when a hole was spotted in said ozone layer.

With the planet’s natural sun shield now compromised, the world (notably the corporate world) was forced to re-design aerosols, foaming cans, fridges, and air-cons.

Industry was quick to act, including adapting factories, waste systems and recycling practices, to ensure they were ready for the rafts for regulations that were to follow. Key among these was the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, which came into effect on September 16, 1987. The Montreal Protocol was a significant statement of intent from the world’s leaders and marked an unprecedented turning point in the history of environmental protection and was ratified by every country in the world by 2008.

These changes have also had an impact on helping in the next great challenge faced by our planet – global warming. 

One industry that has expanded massively since the humble days of the “low-tech” 1980s, is the electronics and communications industry. Whereas in the 1980s, perhaps one in every three homes in the industrialised world had a personal computer for example, today that figure has potentially risen to two to three screens per person per household or more. The impact on global warming of all this production of screen-based equipment is potentially enormous, not to mention the energy needed to fuel them.

The ICT sector has traditionally been a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions as data centres, for example, contribute to 2% of global GHG. The sector, therefore, also has a real potential to play a part in combating climate change and taking steps to reduce energy consumption and operate more sustainably.  Consequently, Africa Tech Festival will host a Fireside chat: What is the role of Green ICT in combating climate change – on Tuesday 8 November- and one on Green ICT: Building a Continent powered by sustainable energy as a route to affordable and reliable electrification for all.

The fireside chat will ask the core question of how the ICT sector can look to lower its own significant impact on greenhouse gases. The panel will discuss best practice ways to lower carbon emissions as well as the possible impact of smart electricity grids and smart cities on lowering Africa’s carbon emissions.

Regarding Africa’s development of clean energy, Kellie Murungi Chief Investments Officer, East African Power remarks that: “Africa has sufficient resources to power itself entirely by clean energy. Therefore, the question for most of the continent is not one of transitioning to clean energy or reducing emissions in power generation, but how to effectively finance the development of clean energy in the continent.” 

A keynote address at AfricaCom, titled ‘How Carbon reduction can accelerate the creation of a digital economy’, will highlight the big question for the African continent, which is how governments can help to address the climate disaster without affecting the basic needs for its population.

Our hope is that AfricaCom will play a major role in connecting entrepreneurs, big corporate and major public sector players to create homegrown innovations

“Although Africa still may have many challenges in its way, there are also many opportunities for rapid advancement if the right questions are asked, such as how the continent can get ahead of the curve and collaborate across countries to build financially viable power projects, for instance,” says James Williams, Director, Events | Connecting Africa | Informa Tech.

“Africa’s economic future depends on the rapid development of ICT and related infrastructure across the continent, but it’s essential that all future projects and rollouts are in line with global best practice in terms of greenhouse gas emissions,” adds Williams. “Our hope is that AfricaCom will play a major role in connecting entrepreneurs, big corporate and major public sector players to create homegrown innovations that could help to drive these changes.”

Also worth attending:

Tuesday, 8 November 2022, 14:00 – 14:45
Panel: The Future of Africa must be driven by renewable energy
Although Sub-Saharan countries (excluding South Africa) are only responsible for 0.55% of the carbon emissions, 7 of the top 10 most vulnerable countries to climate change are in Africa. This session will explore how the continent can leverage its breadth of resources to become a leader in renewable energy production and reduce its vulnerability to the effects of climate change.

Tuesday, 8 November 2022, 14:45 – 15:30
Fireside Chat: Championing Sustainable Energy as a Route to Affordable and Reliable Electrification for All and As a Central Pillar of Africa’s 4IR

Wednesday, 9 November 2022, 12:50 – 13:15
Fireside Chat: Central Africa’s role in the green energy revolution
Countries across Central Africa have some of the lowest rates of electricity access across the continent with resources in the DRC, for example, covering less than 10% of the population. Given the climate, however, it is an ideal region to implement clean energy solutions to combat climate change and provide the population with a basic need

Wednesday, November 2022, 6pm-8pm

Africa Tech Festival Awards, with the announcement of the winner for the Green ICT Champion of the Year Award, an exclusive recognition of the individual or organisation leading on the development and integration of sustainable energy solutions.

For the full programme to the 2022 AfricaCom schedule, visit https://bit.ly/3xqxmi9

Further information can be found on the Africa Tech Festival website here (https://bit.ly/3QM3JhW)

FREE delegate passes are available here (https://bit.ly/3QKqhj5)

MEDIA – please use this link (https://bit.ly/3xnnhT2) to register for accreditation and advance news on announcements etc

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Tech Festival.

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Energy

S&P Global Energy to Highlight Critical Minerals and Energy Transition Insights at African Mining Week 2026

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2 minutes ago

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August 31, 2026

By

Etu Energias

Delegation of senior experts to address market forces, exploration trends, and investment opportunities in Cape Town, Oct. 14-16

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, August 31, 2026/APO Group/ –A delegation of senior executives and global thought leaders from S&P Global Energy is to participate in the African Mining Week (AMW), taking place October 14-16 in Cape Town, to share proprietary data and insights shaping the future of Africa’s mining sector.
 




 
 

Aligning with AMW’s 2026 theme, “Mining the Future: Critical Resources, Sustainability and Community Development,” the delegation’s participation coincides with a surge of investment-led growth in Africa. Holding approximately 30% of the world’s mineral reserves, the continent has emerged as a strategic destination for long-term capital, driven by skyrocketing global demand for critical minerals in clean energy technologies, defense applications, and advanced manufacturing.

As the leading independent provider of information, analytics, and benchmark prices for the energy and commodities markets, S&P Global Energy will help shape key discussions on the market forces and exploration trends impacting this vital sector.

The S&P Global Energy executive delegation at AMW 2026 includes:

  • Atul Arya, SVP and Chief Energy Strategist
  • Rahul Kapoor, VP, Head of Shipping & Metals
  • Vera Blei, Head of Platts
  • Fernando Araya Burchard, Critical Minerals Lead
  • William Mason, Associate Director, Mining Economics & Emissions
  • Malick Diallo, Commercial Lead, EMEA & CIS

Key S&P Global Presentations and Insights: During the event, S&P Global experts will provide proprietary data on the commercial realities shaping mineral development through their panel moderations and presentations. For example:

Global Mineral Race Positions African Producers as Active “Price Setters”

 

  • Dr. Atul Arya will moderate the Ministerial Panel “Regional Policy Alignment: Mining Code Reforms to Unlock Value.”  Rahul Kapoor will guide the conversations of panels, “The New Resource Contract: Balancing Sovereignty, Nationalism, and Investor Certainty” and “Unlocking Refining Investment.” 
  • Transition Minerals and Capital Allocation: Fernando Araya Burchard will explore new opportunities across exploration, production, and mineral beneficiation. He will contextualize these trends against staggering demand forecasts—including a projected 350% increase in global lithium demand and a 130% rise in graphite demand by 2040—and discuss how African governments are leveraging international partnerships to expand capacity and modernize infrastructure.
  • Bucking the Trend: Africa’s Decade-High Exploration Surge and the Rising Cost of Production: Despite possessing some of the world’s largest reserves of copper, cobalt, platinum group metals, lithium, and rare earth elements, Africa attracts less than 10% of global exploration expenditure. William Mason will unpack this untapped geological potential and the commercial realities of production costs.
  • S&P Global Energy will host c-suite roundtable on critical issues facing the mining industry in Africa.

ADVANCING TRANSPARENCY IN CRITICAL MINERALS 

Africa’s central role in the energy transition benefits from transparent pricing and supply chain visibility. Aiding the market’s need for such transparency, S&P Global Energy’s Platts recently launched a set of spot market price assessments for rare earth elements: first-of-their-kind, for mine-to-industry “alternative supply chains (https://apo-opa.co/3T4yhCT),” reflecting  prices of refined materials originating from Angola, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and other nations and China rare earth elements (https://apo-opa.co/45ZaGq9), on a free-on-board basis.

Additionally, S&P Global recently published independent reports on Tungsten (https://apo-opa.co/4iD8j3I), Antimony (https://apo-opa.co/4y62qAv), NdPr (https://apo-opa.co/4zI0Bvv), Gallium (https://apo-opa.co/4gHzlEI), and Germanium (https://apo-opa.co/46hrusJ). These reports aim to advance market transparency and foster dialogue among producers, processors, consumers, investors, and policymakers regarding supply chains that are essential to defense, semiconductors, aviation, and other strategic global industries.

Dr. Arya spoke with African Mining Week highlighting the importance of Africa’s mineral wealth and opportunities for African nations and companies: “Global Mineral Race Positions African Producers as Active “Price Setters”, Says S&P Global Energy (https://apo-opa.co/4y8xcZz).”

Organized by Energy Capital & Power, African Mining Week runs alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2026 conference (October 12-16 in Cape Town), where S&P Global Energy is an Emerald Sponsor and will also feature an executive delegation.

For more information on African Mining Week, visit: https://African-MiningWeek.com/

For more information on S&P Global Energy, visit: https://www.SPGlobal.com/energy/en.

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

 




 

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Business

The “Cool Hainan” Global Campaign Generates Buzz and Attracts International Travelers

Published

27 minutes ago

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August 31, 2026

By

communication project

HAIKOU, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 August 2026 – Since the beginning of this year, an international social media promotion campaign themed “China’s Free Trade Port, World-Class Resort Island: Welcome to Cool Hainan” has brought China’s Hainan Free Trade Port into the view of global travelers, attracting more international tourists to visit this tropical island.
 




 

This international communication project was planned and implemented by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province. Through social media platforms, 56 travel-themed pieces of content were published for global audiences, with total exposures exceeding 16 million. The campaign spanned major inbound tourist source markets for Hainan—including Russian-speaking regions, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America—distributed via multilingual accounts in Russian, Thai, Indonesian, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, ultimately reaching an audience of over 52 million followers.

Breaking from traditional promotional models, the campaign released seven themed series of Hainan tourism content featuring practical travel guides and immersive on-site scenarios, showcasing international branding labels such as “Cool Hainan”, “Top Ten Hainan Tourism Icons”, and “Cool Island”. Starting with high-end luxury getaways on the Sunshine Coast in January, themes shifted monthly: February showcased Hainan’s distinct Li and Miao ethnic Spring Festival customs; March focused on trendy surfing experiences and Wenchang aerospace study tours; April highlighted water sports and wellness tourism; May featured archaeological study tours and rainforest adventures; June promoted rainforest self-driving tours and ethnic minority villages; and July rolled out “Ten Signature Marine Tourism Routes”, with a single post achieving over 2.6 million impressions.

This content not only showcases diverse landscapes and experiences such as bays, rainforests, folk customs, health and wellness, and sports, but also highlights practical travel information including visa-free policies for 86 countries, temporary permits for foreign driver’s licenses, shopping, and duty-free/departure tax refund policies for off-island travel, seamlessly integrating the island’s natural scenery, local intangible cultural heritage, and modern tourism consumption business formats.

Global social media users have shown a strong interest in traveling to Hainan. Many have left comments asking about specific details such as visa-free policies, dining, accommodation, sightseeing, and self-driving trips, and several users said they have added Hainan to their future travel bucket lists.

Hainan hopes to leverage this themed social media campaign to build an international image as a “World-Class Resort Island”, enhance its appeal as an inbound tourism destination, and support Hainan’s development into an international tourism and consumption center. According to an official from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province, Hainan possesses tropical coastal tourism resources that are unique in China. Capitalizing on the policy dividends and openness advantages of the Free Trade Port, Hainan will continue to optimize its tourism service offerings for international visitors and foster a tourism consumption environment that meets international standards.
 




 

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Education

Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) and Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College of Business & Entrepreneurship (MBSC) Celebrate Graduation of Strategic Business Leadership Program Participants

Published

36 minutes ago

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August 31, 2026

By

IsDBI

Jointly developed by IsDBI and MBSC, the program combines executive education with practical learning to help leaders strengthen strategic execution, innovation, organizational transformation, and sustainable value creation

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, August 31, 2026/APO Group/ –The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) (https://IsDBInstitute.org/) and Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College of Business & Entrepreneurship (MBSC) celebrated the graduation of the participants of the Strategic Business Leadership Program, recognizing 30 leaders from 15 IsDB Member Countries and Muslim communities.

 




  

Jointly developed by IsDBI and MBSC, the program combines executive education with practical learning to help leaders strengthen strategic execution, innovation, organizational transformation, and sustainable value creation.

The Strategic Business Leadership Program benefited from the support of three IsDB Group entities, namely the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), and International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC).

The graduation ceremony took place on 27 August 2026 at the IsDB Headquarters in Jeddah. It brought together senior representatives from the IsDB Group, MBSC, and program partners, along with the graduating participants.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Sami Al-Suwailem, Acting Director General of IsDB Institute, emphasized the importance of investing in human capital, knowledge, and institutional capacity to help Member Countries address emerging challenges and unlock new opportunities. He thanked ICIEC, ICD, ITFC, MBSC and all the team members who contributed to the success of the program.

The ceremony featured keynote remarks from Dr. Khalid Khalafalla, CEO of ICIEC and Acting CEO of ICD, and Mr. Nazeem Noordali, COO of ITFC, whose participation underscored the Group’s commitment to strengthening private-sector development, trade, investment, risk mitigation, and economic opportunity across IsDB Member Countries.

Dr. Zeger Degraeve, Executive Dean of MBSC, reflected on the partnership with IsDBI and commended the caliber of the graduating cohort, emphasizing the importance of translating leadership learning into tangible organizational and societal impact.

Dr. Muhammad Azam Roomi, Professor of Entrepreneurship at MBSC and Faculty Director of the program, highlighted the practical dimensions of the learning journey, including entrepreneurial thinking, strategic decision-making, innovation, and opportunity recognition and urged the participants to change lives.

Mr. Yahya Rehman, Head of IsDBI’s Knowledge Leaders Section, highlighted the Institute’s role in developing human capital and providing knowledge-based solutions that contribute to sustainable economic advancement across IsDB Member Countries.

Two representatives of the graduating cohort, Mr. Hesham Ahmed Suqail and Ms. Mahwish Naeem, also shared the participants’ perspective, reflecting on the program’s value, practical learning experience, and opportunity for peer exchange across countries and professional backgrounds. They expressed their gratitude to the IsDBI and MBSC for the life changing experience and learning.

The ceremony concluded with the award of certificates and recognition of program partners. The graduation marks the beginning of the participants’ next stage of leadership, equipping them to contribute to stronger organizations, more innovative businesses, and greater economic and societal impact in their respective countries.

The IsDBI–MBSC partnership provides a continuing platform for developing leadership capabilities across the IsDB ecosystem and empowering a new generation of leaders to translate knowledge into action and learning into sustainable development outcomes.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI).

 

 




 

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