2025 Africa Climate Summit

On September 9, 2025, a Resource Matters delegation took part in the Second Africa Climate Summit 2 (ACS2) in Addis Ababa.

At a Resource Justice Network side-event, Resource Matters Energy Coordinator Christian Mbenga presented how our Congo Epela platform can help identify decentralized clean energy and how our Makuta ya maendeleo platform documents local tax revenue that could hep finance those decentralized solutions.

According to him, three conditions should be met for this to happen:

1. Integrated planning: Electrification must be embedded in national and local development strategies. Tools such as Congo Epela can guide technology choices tailored to communities.
2. Accountable governance: Local governments (ETDs) should allocate part of royalties to energy. Tools like Makuta allow tracking of funds, while publishing royalty flows and energy contracts under the EITI (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative) ensures transparency.
3. Strategic public–private partnerships: Where revenues are insufficient, collaboration with renewable energy companies and donors can unlock new projects.

If managed transparently and invested wisely, DRC’s mining royalties can transform non-renewable mineral wealth into a renewable future — expanding clean energy access and strengthening the tax system.