This policy brief examines the relevance and application of F20 Recommendation 2, within the African context, as well as the points of convergence and divergence with the Final G20 Declaration under the South African G20 Presidency. It explores how industrial decarbonisation, targeting sectors such as steel, cement, and chemicals, can drive both climate action and sustainable economic growth across the continent. Drawing on key developments under the South African G20 Presidency, including positions expressed by the Finance and Energy Transitions Working Groups, as well as engagement group initiatives from T20, B20, and W20, the brief highlights pathways for aligning global frameworks with African priorities.
For African economies, industrial decarbonisation has been positioned as a developmental opportunity that can be leveraged to address broader socio-economic development goals. Industrialisation remains central to the African Union's Agenda 2063, the African Climate Change Strategy (2022-2032) [1], and the African Union Green Recovery Action Plan (2021-2027), all of which emphasise green growth, climate-resilient infrastructure, and the leapfrogging of carbon-intensive pathways.
The F20 Recommendation 2, aligns closely with the African Union Green Recovery Action Plan (GRAP) 2021-2027, which emphasises investments in renewable energy systems, energy efficiency, sustainable waste management, and resilient infrastructure, all of which directly underpin the decarbonisation of heavy industries such as cement, steel, and chemicals. The GRAP's commitment to mobilising climate finance and leveraging partnerships with multilateral institutions also aligns with the F20's recommendations to scale investment through blended finance, green bonds, and impact-focused partnerships.
By advancing low-carbon industrialisation while simultaneously safeguarding livelihoods through just transition frameworks, the GRAP provide a more detailed roadmap of many of the principles embedded in F20's call for a justice-focused policy framework, demonstrating the potential for African priorities to shape and accelerate global industrial decarbonisation efforts [2]. At the same time, the industrial decarbonisation agenda that crystallised across BRICS, COP, and the G20 in 2025 further reinforces this alignment while exposing areas where global frameworks are still evolving.
