78
N. Kidunduhu
energy exporters, and most African countries will face the challenge of
balancing their energy-intensive economies with their climate mitigation
strategies.
Presently, half of Africa’s population does not have access to electricity
and around 75% of its population lacks access to clean cooking.
21 This
lack of access not only hamstrings economic growth but it also negatively impacts life expectancy and quality of life. It is estimated that
Africa’s current population will double by 2050.
22 The growing population coupled with increased urbanization and industrialization in the
continent means rapid increase in energy demand which Africa intends
to meet using all its available energy resources,
It is on this premise that this chapter calls to question the practicability of African countries meeting their global commitments under
the Paris Agreement and advocates for blended strategies that would
allow African countries to capitalize their reserves while limiting their
emissions consistent with the Paris Agreement.
3.2 Energy Landscape in Africa
While this chapter discusses the energy transition in Africa; all the 54
African states cannot be exhaustively evaluated within the confines of
this chapter. Furthermore, the African energy landscape is not homogenous. The chapter thus lends its focus to three African countries from the
South (South Africa), East (Kenya) and North (Morocco) of the continent whose energy mix is predominately made up of renewables but who
also have come to oil, gas and coal discoveries in the recent past.
A. South Africa
South Africa (SA) is located in the south most end of the continent. It
covers a total surface area of 1,219,090 square kilometres.
23 SA has a
21 International Energy Agency, ‘Africa Energy Outlook 2040’, https://www.iea.org/reports/afr
ica-energy-outlook-2019, accessed 2 November2019.
22 Ibid.
23 World Bank, ‘South Africa’, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator, accessed 30 August 2019.
N. Kidunduhu
energy exporters, and most African countries will face the challenge of
balancing their energy-intensive economies with their climate mitigation
strategies.
Presently, half of Africa’s population does not have access to electricity
and around 75% of its population lacks access to clean cooking.
21 This
lack of access not only hamstrings economic growth but it also negatively impacts life expectancy and quality of life. It is estimated that
Africa’s current population will double by 2050.
22 The growing population coupled with increased urbanization and industrialization in the
continent means rapid increase in energy demand which Africa intends
to meet using all its available energy resources,
It is on this premise that this chapter calls to question the practicability of African countries meeting their global commitments under
the Paris Agreement and advocates for blended strategies that would
allow African countries to capitalize their reserves while limiting their
emissions consistent with the Paris Agreement.
3.2 Energy Landscape in Africa
While this chapter discusses the energy transition in Africa; all the 54
African states cannot be exhaustively evaluated within the confines of
this chapter. Furthermore, the African energy landscape is not homogenous. The chapter thus lends its focus to three African countries from the
South (South Africa), East (Kenya) and North (Morocco) of the continent whose energy mix is predominately made up of renewables but who
also have come to oil, gas and coal discoveries in the recent past.
A. South Africa
South Africa (SA) is located in the south most end of the continent. It
covers a total surface area of 1,219,090 square kilometres.
23 SA has a
21 International Energy Agency, ‘Africa Energy Outlook 2040’, https://www.iea.org/reports/afr
ica-energy-outlook-2019, accessed 2 November2019.
22 Ibid.
23 World Bank, ‘South Africa’, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator, accessed 30 August 2019.