3.4 Energy
63
Fig. 3.4 Global primary energy. Source: Smil (2017); British Petroleum Company (2017); Ritchie
and Roser (2019)
energy accounts for less than 5% of global energy consumption, thus the journey to
transition from non-renewable sources of energy to a low-carbon one is progressive.
How can Africa spearhead the transition to low-carbon industrial growth?
Green energy reduces the number of emissions released into the atmosphere
and water bodies, thus improving public health. Furthermore, they do not produce
any adverse health effects. Solar and wind energy sources, for example, generate
electricity and do not have any resultant air pollution emissions. Despite biomass
and geothermal systems emitting some air pollutants, the cumulative air emissions
are lower than those emitted by natural gas-operated industries. Thirdly, Green
energy enhances the sustainable utilization of resources (Kuzemko et al. 2016). For
instance, solar and wind energy do not need any water for operation, and therefore
do not result in polluting water resources and disrupting water ecosystems as well as
other ecosystems. This ensures that these ecosystems continue providing goods and
services. This is in contrast to fossil fuels that can have a substantial effect on water
resources. Furthermore, Green energy plays a crucial role in providing employment
and other economic benefits. They are a source of Green jobs since they mainly
require human labor, unlike non-renewable energy sources that require machines.
The resilience and reliability of renewable energy sources also make them lucrative
63
Fig. 3.4 Global primary energy. Source: Smil (2017); British Petroleum Company (2017); Ritchie
and Roser (2019)
energy accounts for less than 5% of global energy consumption, thus the journey to
transition from non-renewable sources of energy to a low-carbon one is progressive.
How can Africa spearhead the transition to low-carbon industrial growth?
Green energy reduces the number of emissions released into the atmosphere
and water bodies, thus improving public health. Furthermore, they do not produce
any adverse health effects. Solar and wind energy sources, for example, generate
electricity and do not have any resultant air pollution emissions. Despite biomass
and geothermal systems emitting some air pollutants, the cumulative air emissions
are lower than those emitted by natural gas-operated industries. Thirdly, Green
energy enhances the sustainable utilization of resources (Kuzemko et al. 2016). For
instance, solar and wind energy do not need any water for operation, and therefore
do not result in polluting water resources and disrupting water ecosystems as well as
other ecosystems. This ensures that these ecosystems continue providing goods and
services. This is in contrast to fossil fuels that can have a substantial effect on water
resources. Furthermore, Green energy plays a crucial role in providing employment
and other economic benefits. They are a source of Green jobs since they mainly
require human labor, unlike non-renewable energy sources that require machines.
The resilience and reliability of renewable energy sources also make them lucrative