Africa Investments Risk & Compliance Summit 2024

ABOUT THE EVENT

THE 2024 AIRC SUMMIT BRINGS TOGETHER LEADERS FROM THE INVESTMENT AND FINANCIAL COMMUNITY, GOVERNMENT, POLICY MAKING AND ENTREPRENEURS TO DISCUSS THE BIG CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS LINKED TO INVESTING IN AFRICA, AS CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE DOMINATE THE AGENDA.

With COP28 on the horizon and a major milestone in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda, 2024 is a year dominated by managing climate risk and navigating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) challenges.

Meanwhile, the world’s biggest economy is forging deeper ties with Africa. The US Vice President’s recent African tour marked a new era of mutually beneficial US-Africa relations where climate resilience, sustainable investment and digital transformation are at the core.

So how can the African continent benefit from these vast opportunities that span green investments, climate adaptation and positive social impact?

The EBII Group’s Africa Investment Risk and Compliance Summit (AIRCS) aims to address Africa’s biggest investment challenges, from strengthening compliance and combating corruption to creating an enabling policy environment for global investors and finding sustainable business models to attract finance.

The annual Africa Investment Risk and Compliance Summit (AIRCS), created in 2020, unites political and business leaders, academics and regulators to find coordinated solutions to Africa’s investment challenges. The annual summits aim to:

1. REFRESH AFRICA’S NARRATIVE THROUGH STRENGTHENING COMPLIANCE DISCIPLINE WHILST HELPING TO CONNECT THE CONTINENT’S BUSINESSES, SYSTEMS AND PEOPLE TO THE WORLD.

2. ENABLE CREATIVE THINKING TO SUPPORT JOB CREATION AND NEW INNOVATIVE WAYS OF DOING BUSINESS.

Over the last three years, the Summit has hosted key decision makers, including Ghana’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo; Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Bio; US Congresswoman Rep. Ilhan Omar; Dr Mo Ibrahim and African Continental Free Trade Secretary General, H.E Wamkele Mene. The Summits have attracted over 5000 attendees from 80 countries and forged partnerships with global banks, including Afreximbank, Zenith Bank, Standard Chartered and Ecobank, and tech giant Microsoft and have been covered by global media such as BBC, CNN, CNBC and Sky News.

PROPOSED KEYNOTES & PANEL TOPICS

AIRC SUMMIT 2024

DAY 1

PLENARY SESSION

CLIMATE ACTION IN AFRICA: MOBILISING FINANCE TO TACKLE THE CONTINENT’S MOST CRITICAL NEEDS – FOOD, WATER AND ENERGY

It will take billions of dollars for Africa to adapt to the impacts of climate change and transition to a low-carbon economy. More than $500 billion will be required to achieve universal energy access on the continent by 2030. But by then, the climate finance adaptation gap for the continent may reach $440 billion.

https://fsdafrica.org/news/current-levels-of-climate-finance-in-africa-falling-drastically-short-of-needs/

DAY 1

PANEL 1

PAVING THE WAY FOR THE AFRICAN CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AREA (AFCFTA) AND ACCELERATING IMPLEMENTATION

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a unique opportunity for Africa to build resilience and enhance trade, investment and social equity. The AfCFTA will be the largest free trade area in the world, with a market of over 1 billion people and worth $3.4 trillion. The World Bank predicts the trade pact will increase intra-African trade by 80% and extra-African trade by 19%, opening up opportunities for African economies by developing intra-African value chains. Its Investment Protocol currently being negotiated is also expected to increase the share of intra-African FDI and further promote industrial development and inclusive growth among African economies.

https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/trade/publication/free-trade-deal-boosts-africa-economic-development

DAY 1

PANEL 2

BUILDING A CLIMATE FINANCE INFRASTRUCTURE IN AFRICA – PART 1

The role of African regulators and policy makers in growing and supporting sustainable finance.

Creating Africa’s Green Taxonomy

In this panel, we look at the role of African regulators and policy makers in growing and supporting sustainable finance. One example is the Greening National Investment Plans in Africa and Developing Countries, an initiative launched by Egypt at COP27 with UNDP, which aims to ensure that climate change is taken into account when budgeting, planning and designing economic policies. The initiative will also enable nations to share experiences and promote best practice when allocating public funds to climate-related projects. Integrating green standards and markers in economic plans and projects is vital to support investment and paves the way for lenders and investors to align on green national projects.

This panel will also discuss what actions can be taken to create an African Green Taxonomy, the role of different stakeholders in the public and private sectors, and rallying the whole continent in addressing the climate crisis. We aim to get commitment and timelines agreed at the end of this discussion.

DAY 1

PANEL 3

INNOVATIVE TOOLS IN FINANCING CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION AND A JUST TRANSITION IN AFRICA

Transition Finance

Mobilising private investment in transition activities

Carbon Credit Market in Africa

This panel will discuss the different approaches and initiatives to financing climate change action and Africa’s Net Zero pathway. Transition finance, designed to support the most polluting industries to reduce their carbon footprint, is crucial to Africa’s efforts to combat climate change, but the costs of decarbonising high-emitting companies are high. So what role can the private sector play and how do you ensure this finance supports an orderly, just and affordable transition?

The Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI), launched at COP27, could create a carbon market that could unlock $6 billion in income for Africa by 2030 and support 30 million jobs. This panel debates whether this is another greenwashing exercise and looks at how to ensure the market is not exploited by foreign companies with a big carbon footprint.

DAY 1

PANEL 4

NEW AFRICAN PARTNERSHIPS – FORGING NEW TRADE AND INVESTMENT RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE AFRICAN CONTINENT.

This panel will look at trade and investment relationships, public and private sector, that the US, EU and Asia are building with Africa, to address areas such as climate action, sustainable investment, digital innovation and female entrepreneurship. The panel will discuss what promises have been made to the continent, what has been achieved and what Africa can do to become more self-sufficient.

This panel also aims to unpack the available funding sources – from international organisations, regional and national banks, governments, sovereign wealth funds and the private sector. The session also showcases African success stories, showing how smart adaptation initiatives are addressing Africa’s most urgent issues, from food security to water scarcity, which is the focus of the Dealroom – Investor Matchmaking.

DAY 1

DEALROOM

INVESTOR MATCHMAKING AFTERNOON

Matchmaking Will Be Running Parallel to The Panels in Separate Locations

Matchmaking will focus on business opportunities and matchmaking investors with climate projects with a special focus on Adaptation Finance (Food and Water Security)

DAY 2

PANEL 5

DIGITAL INNOVATION / TRANSFORMATION REQUIRED FOR GLOCAL AFRICA

US and EU investors are looking at digital transformation projects that can address ESG and climate change challenges across the continent – How can Africa access and benefit from these initiatives?

DAY 2

PANEL 6

RETHINKING AFRICAN SOVEREIGN DEBT: RESTRUCTURING PUBLIC DEBT AND CARBON ACCOUNTING

Unsustainable levels of African sovereign debt adversely impacts the lives of citizens and threatens economic development, social cohesion and human rights. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from developed countries over the past decades have created physical and transition risks and caused disproportionate damage on the continent. This panel will discuss the idea of using Africa’s climate risk toll to adjust and restructure African sovereign debt.

DAY 2

PANEL 7

THE JUST TRANSITION JOURNEY – WHY TRANSITION FINANCE IS CRUCIAL TO AFRICA’S EFFORTS TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

Sectoral decarbonization pathways

Transition Finance, Planning and Products

Clients’ Transition Journey

This panel highlights the importance of an orderly transition and how tougher new climate risk modelling could impact Africa’s ability to borrow to fund its net-zero transition. Financial risks from climate change will be minimised if there is a well managed market transition to a low-carbon world, but the window for an orderly transition is closing. G20 countries are now asking their banks to forecast the climate-related risks linked to their loan portfolios.

DAY 2

PANEL 8

SUSTAINABLE FINANCE EDUCATION AND UPSKILLING

An important pillar to support transition and system transformation on the African continent is sustainable finance education. Consolidating the efforts of African academia can create collaboration and value creation.

Advancing Sustainable Finance Education in Africa – Crafting a new curriculum

Synergies between Financial Institutions and Academia in Africa

DAY 2

DEALROOM

MATCHMAKING AFTERNOON

Matchmaking Will Be Running Parallel to The Panels in Separate Locations

Matchmaking will focus on business opportunities and matchmaking investors with climate projects with a special focus on Adaptation Finance (Food and Water Security)

For more information about the EBII Africa Investment Risk & Compliance Summit visit https://ebiigroup.com/africa-summit