1 How to Respond to Energy Transitions in Africa …
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The main aim of energy progression therefore, is recognizing the
progressive character of energy use, implying that it has to happen gradually and in different stages. This, in essence, implies that, in all these
stages, there should be adequate support at the national, regional and
international levels through among others the availability of finances and
technology to ensure that countries progress from one form of energy to
another. With energy progression, we pay extra attention to the energy
access challenges on the African continent; the role of fossil fuels in
industrialization; the role of fossil fuels in urbanization; the role of fossil
fuels in meeting the domestic energy demand from the anticipated population growth. In this respect, while advocating for clean technology
to utilize fossil fuels, we advocate for more funding to support African
countries develop and capitalize their fossil fuels. With energy progression, we also call upon climate change activists to be considerate and
think of the many people who are relying on less than one dollar a day
due to lack of access to modern energy. Most importantly, with energy
progression, we ask international financial institutions to reconsider their
policies banning funding for fossil fuel projects because at the end of the
day, different countries face different energy challenges and they should
all be given a chance to progress from one energy use to another. This
does not in any way mean that African countries should not embrace
renewables, there are already efforts to deploy renewable energy and
energy efficiency technologies on the African continent, and these are
discussed in the next section.
1.4 Energy Transition Indicators in African
Countries: Legal Analysis
SSA is very rich in renewable energy resources, with solar potential
totalling about 10,000 GW; wind potential, totalling about 109 GW,
mostly in the coastal countries; geothermal capacity estimated at 15 GW
especially in the East African Rift Valley; and exploitable hydropower
estimated at 350 GW mainly located in Angola, Cameroon, Ethiopia,
Gabon and DRC. Despite these enormous resources and the global
commitment to increase the percentage of renewables in the energy mix,
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The main aim of energy progression therefore, is recognizing the
progressive character of energy use, implying that it has to happen gradually and in different stages. This, in essence, implies that, in all these
stages, there should be adequate support at the national, regional and
international levels through among others the availability of finances and
technology to ensure that countries progress from one form of energy to
another. With energy progression, we pay extra attention to the energy
access challenges on the African continent; the role of fossil fuels in
industrialization; the role of fossil fuels in urbanization; the role of fossil
fuels in meeting the domestic energy demand from the anticipated population growth. In this respect, while advocating for clean technology
to utilize fossil fuels, we advocate for more funding to support African
countries develop and capitalize their fossil fuels. With energy progression, we also call upon climate change activists to be considerate and
think of the many people who are relying on less than one dollar a day
due to lack of access to modern energy. Most importantly, with energy
progression, we ask international financial institutions to reconsider their
policies banning funding for fossil fuel projects because at the end of the
day, different countries face different energy challenges and they should
all be given a chance to progress from one energy use to another. This
does not in any way mean that African countries should not embrace
renewables, there are already efforts to deploy renewable energy and
energy efficiency technologies on the African continent, and these are
discussed in the next section.
1.4 Energy Transition Indicators in African
Countries: Legal Analysis
SSA is very rich in renewable energy resources, with solar potential
totalling about 10,000 GW; wind potential, totalling about 109 GW,
mostly in the coastal countries; geothermal capacity estimated at 15 GW
especially in the East African Rift Valley; and exploitable hydropower
estimated at 350 GW mainly located in Angola, Cameroon, Ethiopia,
Gabon and DRC. Despite these enormous resources and the global
commitment to increase the percentage of renewables in the energy mix,