20thWorldEnergyCongress,Rome,ItalyNovember11-15,2007_____________________________________________________________________________________________PageofNUMPAGES21DefiningthescopeofworkBuildingaSustainableEnergyFuture(SEF)requiresmeetingtheenergyneedsuponwhicheconomicdevelopmentdepends,whileimprovingsocialconditionsandprotectingadequatelytheenvironment.ToplacetheAfricanContinentinapathofEnergySustainability,weneedtothinkandactinamannerto:IdentifytherealchallengesfacedbytheAfricanenergysector;Identifytheobstaclesimpedingthedevelopmentoftheenergysectorandthefactorspreventingtoaddressthechallenges;Findwaysandmeanstoovercometheobstaclesefficiently,whilsttakingadvantageofthenumerousvaluablesopportunitiesofferedintheContinenttofosteritseconomic,socialandenvironmentaldevelopment;DefineappropriatepolicyobjectivesandstrategiesforSustainableEnergyDevelopment(SED),andthusimplementsuitableandconcreteactionstomovetowardsasustainablepath;Collaborate,partnerandmakeallianceswithrelevantstakeholderstoadvocateandsupportAfrica’saspirationstoachieveeffectiveEnergySustainabilityinareasonabletimeframe.Iwillalsotrytosticktothislineofthinkingandactinginthispaper,inordertofacilitatethesettingupofacomprehensive“NewAfricanEnergyStrategy”fortheEnergySustainabilityoftheContinent.TheAfricanEnergylandscape,todayWeakeconomicoutputandhugegrowingpopulationIn2004,Africahasapopulationof865millionpeople(23),accountingfor13.6%oftheWorld’spopulation.Meanwhile,theeconomicoutputoftheContinentisonlyaround3%oftheWorld’stotal.(23)Africa’sGDP(usingpurchasingpowerparities,billion2000US$)totalled$2212billion;SouthernAfricaaccountedfor37.1%ofthistotal,NorthAfrica32.6%,WestAfrica15.4%,EastAfrica10.1%,andCentralAfrica4.8%.(23)GDP(usingexchangerates,billion2000US$)percapitais$786,representedonly1/7thoftheWorld’saveragevalueand1/36thofNorthAmerica.(23)Table1:AfricanGDP(ppp)byregion(Source:InternationalEnergyAnnual2004–EnergyInformationAdministr