STORY: China an important partner to Africa's energy transition: Zambian expert
SHOOTING TIME: Aug. 20, 2024
DATELINE: Aug. 23, 2024
LENGTH: 0:02:02
LOCATION: Lusaka
CATEGORY: POLITICS/ENVIRONMENT

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JOHNSTONE CHIKWANDA, Chairman of Energy Institute of Zambia
2. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JOHNSTONE CHIKWANDA, Chairman of Energy Institute of Zambia
3. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): JOHNSTONE CHIKWANDA, Chairman of Energy Institute of Zambia

STORYLINE:

China, as a leader in the green energy revolution, is an important partner to Zambia and Africa's energy transition, an energy expert said in Lusaka on Tuesday.
   
Zambia and other African countries have benefited from China's support in green energy, said Johnstone Chikwanda, chairman of the Energy Institute of Zambia.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JOHNSTONE CHIKWANDA, Chairman of Energy Institute of Zambia
"If we're to post significant progress on this particular goal, it will have to happen with the support of China because that's where the technology is coming from, that's where we have more innovative financing also coming from, that's also where we have got the skills coming from. And also the Chinese government, really, they seem to understand our topography as a continent, our aspiration as a continent. It's not just around the generation, but it's also about building the transmission network and also the interconnectors."
   
Africa has a lot to learn from how China has managed to navigate and implement green energy projects, including the development of the electrical vehicle industry, he added.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JOHNSTONE CHIKWANDA, Chairman of Energy Institute of Zambia
"In many ways, like I have mentioned earlier on, issues of rolling out the EV industry, let's say, electric vehicle industry, China is a global leader and we are banking on China to learn the best practices from there, the charging capacities, the regulation that has been put in place, all those regulatory frameworks that need to be improved upon. There is a lot to learn in our quest to spearhead the greening agenda as a country."
   
In particular, African countries will need China's help to meet the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal of providing universal access to clean, affordable and sustainable energy for all by 2030, the expert said.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): JOHNSTONE CHIKWANDA, Chairman of Energy Institute of Zambia
"And we are very, very grateful. It is helping to keep the mines running. It has helped to improve the energy security. And that is what it is doing. So what China has done, and what it's doing, and specifics, these projects, and many other projects, that it is helping us to participate, it means a lot for us as a country."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lusaka.
(XHTV)