24
V. R. Nalule
there are some basic requirements that need to be fulfilled if the vision is
to be attained. These requirements include, among others: policies that
incentivize renewable energy deployment; enabling legal frameworks;
innovative financing mechanisms; and electricity supply strategies that
prioritize the diversity of resources such as dispatchable renewables.
48
There are initiatives at both the national and regional levels to deploy
renewable energy. For instance, at the regional level, the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Treaty under Chapter 5
expressly mentions the need for cooperation in the energy sector and
environment. Regional treaties are often backed by various energy protocols which detail cooperation in the energy sector at a regional level. A
case in point is the 2003 ECOWAS Energy Protocol which is elaborative with respect to the governance of the energy sector at the regional
level. Besides the various Regional Treaties and energy protocols, there
are other instruments that have an impact on not only the renewable
energy sector but energy in general. These take the form of master plans
and other regional programmes. In SADC, for instance, the Energy
Sector Plan (ESP), which is under the auspices of the SADC Regional
Infrastructure Development Master Plan, is intended to address four key
strategic objectives including ensuring energy security, improving access
to modern energy services, tapping the abundant energy resources, and
achieving financial investment and environmental sustainability. One of
the sectors covered by the ESP includes renewable energy and energy
efficiency.
49
In this section we briefly highlight the initiatives taken in some of the
African countries to transition to a low-carbon economy. We note that
some countries are not necessarily transitioning but rather progressing
from traditional energy to modern energy. This progression doesn’t in
any way dictate the kind of energy to be advanced to, rather it shows
that countries are taking baby steps to progress from one dirty energy
48 Avila, N., Carvallo, J.P., Shaw, B. and Kammen, D.M., 2017. The Energy Challenge in SubSaharan Africa: A Guide for Advocates and Policy Makers. https://www.oxfamamerica.org/sta
tic/media/files/oxfam-RAEL-energySSA-pt1.pdf.
49 Nalule, V.R., 2020. Transitioning to a Low Carbon Economy: Is Africa Ready to Bid Farewell
to Fossil Fuels? In The Palgrave Handbook of Managing Fossil Fuels and Energy Transitions
(pp. 261–286). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
V. R. Nalule
there are some basic requirements that need to be fulfilled if the vision is
to be attained. These requirements include, among others: policies that
incentivize renewable energy deployment; enabling legal frameworks;
innovative financing mechanisms; and electricity supply strategies that
prioritize the diversity of resources such as dispatchable renewables.
48
There are initiatives at both the national and regional levels to deploy
renewable energy. For instance, at the regional level, the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Treaty under Chapter 5
expressly mentions the need for cooperation in the energy sector and
environment. Regional treaties are often backed by various energy protocols which detail cooperation in the energy sector at a regional level. A
case in point is the 2003 ECOWAS Energy Protocol which is elaborative with respect to the governance of the energy sector at the regional
level. Besides the various Regional Treaties and energy protocols, there
are other instruments that have an impact on not only the renewable
energy sector but energy in general. These take the form of master plans
and other regional programmes. In SADC, for instance, the Energy
Sector Plan (ESP), which is under the auspices of the SADC Regional
Infrastructure Development Master Plan, is intended to address four key
strategic objectives including ensuring energy security, improving access
to modern energy services, tapping the abundant energy resources, and
achieving financial investment and environmental sustainability. One of
the sectors covered by the ESP includes renewable energy and energy
efficiency.
49
In this section we briefly highlight the initiatives taken in some of the
African countries to transition to a low-carbon economy. We note that
some countries are not necessarily transitioning but rather progressing
from traditional energy to modern energy. This progression doesn’t in
any way dictate the kind of energy to be advanced to, rather it shows
that countries are taking baby steps to progress from one dirty energy
48 Avila, N., Carvallo, J.P., Shaw, B. and Kammen, D.M., 2017. The Energy Challenge in SubSaharan Africa: A Guide for Advocates and Policy Makers. https://www.oxfamamerica.org/sta
tic/media/files/oxfam-RAEL-energySSA-pt1.pdf.
49 Nalule, V.R., 2020. Transitioning to a Low Carbon Economy: Is Africa Ready to Bid Farewell
to Fossil Fuels? In The Palgrave Handbook of Managing Fossil Fuels and Energy Transitions
(pp. 261–286). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham