Zambia and Britain Agree UK-Zambia Green Growth Compact

British Foreign Minister, James Cleverly, concluding his four-day visit to a number of African countries by announcing that Britain had agreed deals with Zambia on critical minerals and clean energy.

Mr. Cleverly said the trip’s main goal was to strengthen ties in Africa and support Nigeria’s agricultural sector; given the trip arrived immediately after the coup in Niger, he added that Britain was glad to have consulted on regional talks on the Nigerien crisis.

A deal in principle has been agreed, titled the UK-Zambia Green Growth Compact, to generate £2.5 billion of British private investor funds in Zambia’s mining, minerals and renewable energy, combined with a further £500 million in UK government-backed investment.

Speaking about the deal, Mr. Cleverly said, “The UK-Zambia Green Growth Compact and our landmark agreement on critical minerals will support investment between UK and Zambian business, creating jobs in both countries”.

A memorandum is to be signed today, which the UK Foreign Office said would “lay the foundation for further UK support for the responsible mining of copper, cobalt and other metals essential to the global clean energy transition”. The deal is part of a wider strategic move by Britain to establish a leading position in critical minerals, having recently signed deals with countries including the United States, Japan, Australia, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia.