In a report released Wednesday, From Energy Security to Sovereignty, the organization assessed Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia using a newly developed Energy Sovereignty Index. Egypt scored 4.5 out of 10, reflecting limited autonomy, heavy reliance on fossil fuels, and growing import dependence. The report follows the stalled outcome of COP30, which highlighted the region’s struggle to reach decisive climate agreements.
Greenpeace defines energy sovereignty as the ability of people, communities, and states to determine how energy is produced, distributed, and consumed in ways that are socially fair and ecologically sustainable. Despite growing investment in renewables, the report argues that real control remains concentrated in the hands of foreign investors and international institutions. Export-oriented projects, it warns, prioritize Europe’s decarbonization needs while keeping power, technology, and profits outside the region.
“Cleaner does not mean just, or more sovereign,” said Julien Jreissati, Greenpeace MENA’s programme director. “Europe’s decarbonization cannot come at the expense of North Africa’s energy sovereignty. True energy sovereignty rests in the ability to determine how energy is used, not only how it is produced.”
The report highlights risks from foreign-backed solar, wind, and green hydrogen ventures meant primarily for export, warning they could create “green sacrifice zones” in which surrounding communities face water shortages, land deprivation, and social burdens without fair compensation. Egypt, described as gas-dependent and contractually locked into export deals, still relies on fossil fuels for 94 percent of its energy supply.
Its rising import needs include a $35 billion agreement with Israel to import 130 bcm of natural gas until 2040, alongside LNG imports to cover domestic shortages. IMF-linked reforms, it adds, continue to pressure affordability and policy autonomy.
At the same time, Egypt has sought to expand its green economy through the NWFE (Nexus of Water, Food and Energy) Programme, launched in 2022. The initiative has mobilized $4.5 billion in climate investments for 5.2 GW of renewable projects, while power-purchase agreements have reached 8.8 GW out of a targeted 10 GW—savings the state an estimated $3.6 billion in fuel import costs in FY 2024/25.
Greenpeace recommends mandatory domestic offtake requirements of 15–25 percent in all export-oriented renewable projects to ensure local energy needs are met. It also calls for greater investment in decentralized solutions—rooftop solar, microgrids, and village cooperatives—as well as transparent revenue-sharing with affected communities.
The report concludes that the region now faces a choice between adopting “a new extractive model painted green” or pursuing a sovereign, community-centred transition that delivers resilience and fairness.
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