France will give African countries two billion euros ($2.1 billion) over the next four years to develop renewable energy and replace climate-harming fossil fuels, President Francois Hollande said Tuesday.

"France will devote six billion euros between 2016 and 2020 for electricity provision on the continent" of Africa, he said on the sidelines of a UN climate conference in the outskirts of Paris. "Two billion euros will be spent on renewable energy."