The Government of Senegal (GoS) has developed the National Social and Economic Development Strategy (SNDES) and the Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE) to increase the productivity of Senegal’s whole economy, both public and private sectors. The PSE elaborates on plans to build secondary cities to free-up the capital city of Dakar, which accounts for only 0.3% of the surface area of Senegal, but is home to 25% of the population.

Senegal’s heavy dependence on imported oil for its energy supply has significantly undermined growth and competitiveness. Biomass represents half of Senegalese energy consumption, while petroleum account for approximately 36%. The high cost of energy coupled with unreliable electricity supply has also been a key constraint to private sector growth. There is a critical need for GoS to diversify its energy mix and attract private sector investments to ensure a competitive supply of electricity in the industrial zones and agricultural areas that have strong economic potential.

Ineffective urban development planning has led to consistent environmental issues, such as flooding and land degradation, and has exacerbated the country’s inability to cope with rapid urban growth. Unregulated exploitation of sand quarries and unsafe settlements in the city periphery without adequate social infrastructures and services have also compounded the effects of social inequality and urban poverty.

In order to mobilize and deploy investments to implement green growth plans, operationalizing the country’s National Climate Fund (NCF), which is a platform for public and private entities to access international resources for projects that support climate change mitigation and adaptation, is a crucial intervention. Gaps remain on how to strengthen the institution so that the NCF can achieve accreditation for receiving finance for climate projects.

The project will build on 2016 results that included the development of green city guidelines and roadmap, and an analysis of rural renewable energy for productive use. GGGI work will also continue to provide technical assistance in preparation of the operationalization of Senegal’s NCF.

The Senegal program offers GGGI the opportunity to support PSE implementation through a broad-based approach built on the development of a national green growth strategy, green urban development planning, bankable project preparation support in the energy for productive use sector, and strengthening the national financing vehicle.

PROJECT OUTPUTS FOR 2017-18:

• Develop a National Green Growth Strategy and submit to government
• Support GoS to apply and use green city guidelines and implement roadmap in 3 selected pilot cities
• Prepare designs and financial proposals for at least 2 green energy projects and submit to financiers

PROJECT OUTCOMES FOR 2017-18:

• Government adopts National Green Growth Strategy for implementation and develops recommended actions for green city development in pilot secondary cities
• Green energy projects are approved for financing and implementation

The overall outcome of the project is to support the GoS in converting plans into action in the form of bankable projects and in strengthening national capacity to leverage international climate finance. It will aim at achieving this through the delivery of the following outputs:

National Green Growth strategy developed and submitted to the government. GGGI’s interventions in Senegal aim to support ongoing efforts to fulfill the ambition of the PSE and to address a host of interrelated green growth challenges, including vulnerability to exogenous shocks due to food imports and an oil-dependent energy sector that contributes 90% of GHG emissions, as well as inadequate urban infrastructure and low agricultural productivity. GGGI will draw on strategy formulation experiences in other country programs to assist the GoS in developing a National Green Growth Strategy (NGGS) to better shape, prioritize, and strengthen green growth actions aligned to the SNDES and PSE.

Green city guidelines and roadmaps applied in three selected pilot cities. GGGI will assist the relevant government agencies to apply and use green city guidelines and implementation roadmap developed in 2016. This will build on extensive learning from GGGI’s experiences in other countries to build the capacity of key stakeholders in Senegal, and to provide a set of recommendations for actions required in selected pilot cities. This will directly contribute to a key aspect of the SNDES by providing an evidence base for sustainable green urban planning.

Design and financial proposals for at least two green energy projects prepared and submitted to financiers. GGGI’s work on a renewable energy component explored the potential for energy-based solutions to improve productivity, as well as renewable energy resource development for greener growth. GGGI is working with GIZ-PERACOD, the Ministry of Energy, and a host of national stakeholders from public and private sectors to design and prepare two bankable energy projects.