Global Calendar of Statistical Events

Organizer(s): UNSD African Energy Commission

Description: UNSD and the African Energy Commission (AFREC, an organ of the African Union) organized a regional bioenergy workshop in Lomé, Togo, from 24 to 26 April 2023. The event followed up from the June 2021 “International Workshop on Improving Bioenergy Monitoring and Reporting in Africa” held virtually by UNSD, AFREC and the International Energy Agency. The 2021 workshop consolidated the Strategic Framework for the African Bioenergy Data Management (AFBIDM), whose roadmap/action plan called for this validation workshop. Over half of Africa’s energy demand is met by traditional bioenergy, and the percentage of solid fuel (charcoal and fuel wood) used in the region is the highest in the world. Production and consumption of bioenergy has direct impacts on health (indoor pollution), biodiversity, water and soil quality, as well as on a number of social and economic aspects of primary relevance for developing countries. Improving the measurement of bioenergy in Africa is an imperative to tracking SDG 7 and its inter linkages to other SDGs. Representatives from Statistical Offices and Energy Authorities of ten African countries participated in the workshop. Presentations focused on the motivation, importance and impacts of traditional bioenergy use in Africa; mitigation actions to reduce such impacts; best practices in data collection, including survey questionnaires; linkages to policy and advocacy to policymakers; as well as outreach. Participants shared national experiences on each topic. Collectively, participants seemed to be aware of national needs in order to set up a comprehensive bioenergy data collection system integrated with national policy priorities. The exchange helped them individually to fill knowledge gaps in this respect.

Topics: Energy (CSA 20302)