Our continent’s path to prosperity does not have to mirror the past. With AI as a catalyst, Africa can reimagine growth – not as a climate cost, but as a climate solution.
By Our Staff Writer
Africa stands at a critical crossroads: it is a continent on the rise, building roads, cities, and economies, while also bearing the brunt of climate change. As industrialisation accelerates, so too does the continent’s carbon footprint, particularly from cement, steel, heavy transport, and agriculture. These are the so-called “hard-to-abate” sectors: essential to growth, but notoriously resistant to decarbonisation.
But a new ally is emerging: Artificial Intelligence (AI). Once a catchphrase reserved for Silicon Valley, AI is now being seen as a serious tool for climate action, especially in helping industries become cleaner, smarter, and more efficient.
The decarbonisation dilemma
Globally, hard-to-abate sectors account for over 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Energy Transitions Commission (2021). In Africa, these sectors are expanding rapidly. For instance, cement demand is expected to triple in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2050, driven by urbanisation and infrastructure development (IEA, 2019).
Yet Africa contributes just 3.9% of global emissions, according to Our World in Data, 2022, while remaining the most vulnerable to climate shocks – underscoring the urgent need for climate-smart industrialisation. Here, AI could play a game-changing role.
Where AI can make the biggest impact
1. Cleaner cement and steel
Cement alone is responsible for about 8% of global CO₂ emissions (Chatham House, 2018). Africa’s cement giants, from Rwanda’s Cimerwa, Bamburi Cement in Kenya to Dangote Cement in Tanzania/Nigeria, rely on energy-intensive kilns that burn fossil fuels at high temperatures. Steel production, similarly, remains emissions-intensive.
AI technologies such as real-time emissions tracking, digital twins, and machine learning-based process optimisation can significantly reduce waste and improve energy efficiency. A McKinsey & Company study (2020) estimated that AI-enabled optimisation in heavy industry could reduce emissions by up to 20% (McKinsey, 2020).
In Egypt, an AI-based energy management system at the Helwan Cement plant reportedly cut fuel use by 10%, saving approximately 5,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Siemens, 2019).
2. Transforming transport and logistics
According to (IEA Africa Energy Outlook, 2019), transport emissions currently account for about 10% of Africa’s total emissions, and are growing rapidly with urbanisation.
AI can help through smart traffic systems, route optimisation, and electric vehicle (EV) intelligence. Startups like Roam (Kenya) and Ampersand (Rwanda) are integrating AI to monitor EV battery health, optimise charging, and streamline fleet management (Roam, 2023, Ampersand, 2023).
The African Development Bank (AfDB) suggests that AI-driven routing systems could cut fuel consumption by 15% and reduce logistics costs – crucial in regions where logistics can account for up to 30% of product pricing (AfDB Transport Sector Policy, 2021).
3. Greener, smarter agriculture
Africa’s agricultural sector is a cornerstone of the economy, yet contributes up to 40% of emissions when land-use change is included, especially from fertilisers, livestock methane, and deforestation (FAO, 2020).
A UNDP Kenya, 2022, study reported that AI-powered precision agriculture, remote methane sensors, and pest-detection systems are making strides. In Kenya, platforms using machine learning guide smallholder farmers on optimal planting, irrigation, and fertiliser use based on weather and soil data
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that precision agriculture can reduce fertiliser emissions by up to 25% (FAO, 2021).
In Ghana and Nigeria, drone and AI technologies are mapping land degradation and tracking livestock emissions (CGIAR AI4Ag Africa Initiative, 2023).
4. Powering the smart energy transition
AI is also crucial in renewable energy integration. With solar, wind, and battery systems scaling across Africa, AI can optimise forecasting, grid balancing, and battery usage.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA, 2022) points out that South Africa’s Eskom and Morocco’s ONEE were piloting AI-based demand forecasting to better match renewable energy supply with real-time demand.
The agency adds that AI-enhanced forecasting and energy optimisation can increase renewable efficiency by 10–20%.
This is particularly vital in off-grid and rural electrification efforts, where reliability is key to development outcomes.
Obstacles on the road ahead
Still, barriers remain. Many African industries lack the digital infrastructure needed to deploy AI effectively. Data gaps, connectivity issues, and a shortage of AI-skilled professionals are real challenges.
What is needed are investments in digital infrastructure, AI-capacity building, and the creation of public AI-climate partnerships. Donor agencies, development banks, and African governments must lead in making AI for climate both accessible and equitable.
A smart, sustainable future
AI is no silver bullet, but it might be our continent’s green spear. In some of the carbon-intensive sectors, it introduces a real possibility for scalable change. From optimising cement kilns in Egypt to digitising dairy farms in Kenya, the transformation has already begun.
With the right policies and investments, Africa can leapfrog into clean industrialisation, building a resilient, inclusive, and low-carbon future driven by AI.
At a Glance: AI in Africa’s hardest-hitting sectors for climate action
AI is proving to be a powerful tool across sectors in the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In heavy industries such as cement and steel, AI applications like process optimisation, predictive maintenance, and the use of digital twins can cut emissions by up to 20%, according to the 2023 AI for Climate Mitigation Roadmap by the Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF).
In the transport sector, AI plays a critical role in enhancing electric vehicle (EV) fleet monitoring, optimizing traffic flow, and enabling smarter routing systems. These innovations are estimated to deliver an emissions reduction of between 10% and 15%, based on findings from McKinsey (2022) and ICEF (2023).
Agriculture sees even greater potential, with precision farming techniques and the use of satellite- and AI-powered methane detection systems enabling emission reductions of 25% to 30%. These figures are supported by reports from GSMA (2023) and collaborative assessments from the FAO and ICEF.
Finally, in the energy sector, AI helps optimise supply and demand through smart grids, improves the accuracy of renewable energy forecasting, and enables better demand prediction. These tools could reduce emissions by 10% to 20%, as highlighted by both GSMA and ICEF in their 2023 reports.
Overall, AI is emerging not just as a digital tool but as a climate ally, shaping smarter, more efficient systems across critical sectors.
Key takeaway
As Africa industrialises, it does not have to follow a polluting path. With AI, our continent has a unique opportunity to build clean from the start, transforming its hardest-to-decarbonise sectors into engines of a sustainable future.
