The 2020s arguably represent the most critical decade of climate and development action, and one that will either steer us on a course to reach the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement and 2030 Agenda, or put these goals out of reach. While it's imperative that we work to recover from the immediate impacts of the global Covid-19 pandemic, our efforts to do so must not set us on long-term trajectories that exacerbate the risks, vulnerabilities and inequalities that the pandemic has highlighted.

Fortunately, we find ourselves in a moment in time when three interrelated factors could unlock pathways to sustainable development and a just transition, namely: the economic shake-up caused by the Covid-19 pandemic; the timing of the updates of the Nationally-Determined Contributions (NDCs); and the emerging opportunities to decarbonise and liberalise the power sector³. Here we consider how these factors intersect in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

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