African Union Specialised Technical Committee on Transport & Energy: 5th Ordinary Session Report

London, 7th May 2026 — The Professional African Technical Network Advisory (PATNA) Initiative and UCL Shipping and Oceans Research Group report, and provide valuable insight, on the meeting which took place in South Africa between 27th and 30th April 2026.

The 5th Ordinary Session of the African Union STC on Transport and Energy was a session of considerable substance and consequence. It took place at a moment of genuine geopolitical uncertainty and structural disruption, and it responded to that moment with a mixture of analytical rigour, institutional commitment, and strategic clarity that augured well for the implementation agenda ahead. The session also convened in parallel with the consequential 84th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), headquartered in London, United Kingdom.

The adoption of the Continental Strategy for the Decarbonisation of Maritime Transport in Africa stands as the most historically significant outcome of the session. It is the first African-owned, African-led framework specifically designed to reduce GHG emissions from the maritime sector. This strategy was both technically endorsed by experts and politically endorsed by ministers. The importance of this dual legitimacy signals that Africa is not simply responding to an externally driven transition but is actively shaping the terms of that transition in a manner consistent with its development priorities, its equity expectations, and its just transition commitments.

The broader agenda of the session, that comprise advancing PIDA implementation, accelerating the Grand Inga Hydropower Project, building aviation connectivity and safety, scaling electric mobility, and aligning infrastructure investment with industrial transformation, reflected the maturity of Africa’s continental planning architecture. Now that the frameworks are in place and institutions are mandated, the next challenge, which the ministers both acknowledged and sought to address, is the translation of that architecture into tangible delivery outputs.

The session closed with a clear message: Africa cannot afford to remain at the level of planning. The people of the continent, including the 600 million without electricity access, the one billion who walk daily in unsafe environments, and the coastal communities exposed to the compounding risks of maritime decarbonisation and climate change, demand more than declarations but delivery. The 5th Ordinary Session committed Africa’s collective institutions to that delivery, and the record of its deliberations stands as both an account of what was achieved and a mandate for what must follow.

The PATNA Initiative is a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting African-centred climate action and energy transition pathways grounded in evidence, collaboration, and institutional understanding. For further information visit: https://thepatna.org/

AU STC 5th Session Report.pdf

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