Yaoundé, June 22, 2026 – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), through its Central Africa sub-regional office and the African Centre for Statistics, is providing technical support to Cameroon to develop its first-ever energy accounts. This initiative is being carried out in collaboration with Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics (INS) and the World Bank under the HISWACA project, culminating in a five-day technical workshop in Douala from June 22 to 26, 2026.
The workshop brings together key government institutions, energy sector agencies, and technical and financial partners. Together, they will assess available data and define the technical, methodological, and institutional requirements needed to compile energy accounts in line with the United Nations’ System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA). This internationally recognized framework enables countries to measure the interplay between economic activity and environmental impacts.
Energy accounts represent a cutting-edge statistical tool that connects data on energy extraction, production, transformation, consumption, and trade with the country’s economic activities and environmental emissions. By doing so, they provide a comprehensive view of how energy, the economy, and the environment interact in Cameroon.
These accounts will help policymakers answer critical questions: How much energy is produced domestically? Which economic sectors are the largest energy consumers? How is energy transformed and utilized across industries? What role does energy play in wealth creation? Most importantly, they will reveal how energy policies influence economic growth, employment, and greenhouse gas emissions. This insight is vital for guiding investments that accelerate Cameroon’s energy transition.
With rising energy demand, pressing energy security concerns, and escalating climate challenges, robust and integrated energy statistics are no longer optional—they are essential for evidence-based policy-making and strategic investment planning.
The development of these accounts aligns perfectly with Cameroon’s Vision 2035 and the National Development Strategy 2020–2030 (SND30). Both frameworks prioritize structural transformation, sustainable industrialization, and energy transition as cornerstones of national development.
Beyond national planning, energy accounts will play a key role in tracking progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those focused on affordable and clean energy, climate action, and the sustainable management of natural resources.
From a broader perspective, this initiative will equip Cameroon with a robust analytical framework to evaluate the effectiveness of its energy policies, harmonize economic planning with natural resource management, and embed environmental considerations into public decision-making.
The Douala workshop marks a pivotal milestone in the energy accounting process. Participants will identify user needs, assess existing data gaps, and establish a clear operational roadmap for compiling future energy accounts.
This effort is part of Cameroon’s National Plan for Environmental and Economic Accounting (PNDEAE), adopted by the government in 2023. The PNDEAE identifies energy accounting as a priority area for operationalizing environmental and economic accounting across the country.
Through this initiative, UNECA continues to support Cameroon in strengthening its national statistical capabilities and advancing environmental and economic accounting. The support includes methodological guidance aligned with international standards, access to specialized expertise—including from the UK’s Office for National Statistics—and ongoing technical assistance throughout the energy accounting compilation process.
