The first episode of  Africa-USA Now  kicks off this week with the topic, “Financing the Energy Mix.” Host  Carol Pineau  tackles this critical issue with her guests: Admassu Tadesse, President Emeritus and Managing Director,  Trade and Development Bank Group - TDB Group ,  Rajakumari Jandhyala , CEO of YAATRA Ventures, and  Thomas Sheehy , Principal at Quinella Global.

Overview:  The Global North became wealthy through industrialization, but that also caused pollution and our current climate change crisis. Africa, which accounts for only 2-4% of global emissions, has an equally pressing need: alleviating poverty, and the fastest path is industrialization. Africa can leap-frog to renewables, but it’s complicated. To start, Africa needs an energy mix, but most major institutions will only finance renewable energy, so how does Africa industrialize?

This series is launched in partnership with the  African Development Bank Group ,  Africa Investment Forum , and  AfricaGlobal Schaffer .