Accra — Africa's energy demand is forecast to dramatically expand as rapid urbanisation and economic growth push consumption to new heights. Yet the continent is currently plagued by poor power infrastructures and chronic power shortages.
According to the World Bank less than a quarter of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa has access to electricity. And on average, African economies lose 2.1% of GDP as a result of power shortages annually.
A rise in the global price of crude oil has left African economies with a reduced budget for investment in other areas. Even countries which are relatively on track to achieve the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), such as Senegal, will see their commitment to the MDGs called into question by the high expenditure on oil imports. In Senegal, oil imports total 8.5% of its GDP, more than the budget allocation of its health and education sectors combined.
Changing global directions: towards green growth
With Africa's current energy model reaching breaking point, governments are increasingly open to new sustainable development approaches to meet the needs of its rapidly growing economies.
The recent Rio+20 Conference on sustainable development amplified calls for the establishment of a "green economy". The green economy framework is widely regarded as having the potential to transform the region from a net energy importer to placing it in control of energy consumption through the use of renewable energy sources, notably solar power. Moreover, sustainable land management - a key principle of the green economy mantra - will not exacerbate the effects of climate change.
Heads of state, backed by regional institutions such as the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the African Union (AU), indicate a growing consensus in favour of these methods.
Laying the foundation for sustainable growth
The practical application of a green economy rests on the development of coherent national strategies and policy frameworks. Many initiatives are still nascent and such a transition presents a number of challenges for Africa. While a strengthening of previous levels of commitment can be observed, a gap in the investment of sustainable resources still remains. The initial stage of harnessing the technology necessary to develop renewable energy is costly and requires considerable expertise to implement innovative research. Nonetheless, there are a number of encouraging examples, which provide an insight into some of the directions sustainable development could take.
The Ethiopian government has set ambitious targets in its "Climate Resilient Green Economy" strategy. It aims, amongst other goals, to reach carbon neutral middle income status, and to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels by a third by 2025. The government is also aiming for a fivefold expansion of electric power generation from renewable energy sources.
A core component of the strategy is the improvement of sustainable crop and livestock production practices to increase food yields, bolster food security and boost farmers' incomes. Special attention is given to the protection of forestry reserves in recognition of their central role in economic growth and in local ecosystems as a precious source of carbon stocks. Within Ethiopia's green economy strategy, industry, transport, and construction are singled out as priority areas for investment in modern and energy-efficient technologies.
In Tunisia, a national fund for energy management has been established in response to calls for investment in renewable sources. Solar market development has emerged as a key government priority, sparking the creation of the Tunisian Solar Programme (PROSOL). It has led to a reduction of $1.1 billion in the national energy bill. Currently 50,000 families receive heated water as a result of solar energy, which has reduced 214,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions in the process.
Rapid declines in soil fertility levels has brought a renewed focus on agricultural practices. Scaling up organic agriculture has proven to be viable option for smallholder farmers in Uganda, who cultivate 185,000 hectares of land using organic agriculture practices. Government regulations have expanded the use of organic certification and accreditation systems and, to date, $22.8 million of earnings has been raised in the export of certified organic goods. The country's comparatively low usage of fertilisers have proven to be an attractive selling point for global investors.
Prospects for a Green Africa
Africa's endowment of natural resources makes it a prime candidate for this switch. It has a vast potential for wind and solar power generation. And global investment in renewable energy has increased significantly, rising to $211 billion in 2010. Africa recorded the largest jumps in financing in comparison to other developing regions. Chinese financing has reached $1.7 billion per year, overtaking official development assistance.
But much will depend on whether countries value the long-term over the short-term and procuring suitable investment. Can Africa shake off the shackles of its dependence on oil imports? It is time political rhetoric translates into tangible gains for the energy sectors.
Joan Nimarkoh is a freelance writer and journalist working in Accra along with her role as a policy consultant for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. Joan graduated from Leeds University in Political Studies, in 2004 and from the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) in 2007 with an Msc in Development Studies. Her interests include African politics and economics, agriculture develpoment, democratization, and climate change.
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If Africa has the least amount of energy infrastructure in the world then why on earth do they need "green" energy? Europe and parts of Asia are the most industrialized countries on earth yet you don't hear the world bank telling them they need "green energy". Yet they go to Africa which has very little infrastructure and they want to promote "green energy"? And what do they really mean by this? What they really mean is that Africans should let foreign companies build wind farms and solar farms to export the energy OUT of Africa. Do you really think these clowns want the average African to have access to electricity? Heck no. Just like they don't want Africans to have access to cheap gas. It is an article designed to promote their own agenda for taking more African resources and covering it up with propaganda and lies to make it seem as if they are "trying" to help Africans. That is nonsense. Otherwise, these people wouldn't be knocking themselves over to take all the petroleum and other resources out of Africa. They aren't putting refineries in Africa for Africans to have cheap gas, because that isn't part of their business plan. Just like they aren't going to put windmills or solar farms in Africa for Africans to benefit either. These clowns are thieves and crooks and their only purpose is to take and certainly not to give to anybody, least of all Africans.
And on the note of Ethiopia, people need to keep in mind that for the last 50 years or more Ethiopians have been battling with neighboring countries over the rights to use their water for the benefit of Ethiopians. There is more than enough water in the rivers of Ethiopia to provide for irrigation and power generation. But every time they try to propose a power plant or irrigation scheme, other neighboring countries like Egypt cry foul and reject the idea. But this article isn't pointing that out. Again, another example of global agencies telling lies and half truths to promote their agenda. If they really cared about Ethiopians having power and irrigation, they wouldn't let other countries bully Ethiopia and tell them they cannot use their water resources for their own benefit.
And on top of that, look at the land situation in Ethiopia. Over the last 20 years you have all these episodes of starvation, but what have these globalist agencies and foreign industrialists done in Ethiopia? They have promoted giving away millions of acres of land to foreigners to grow crops. What have they actually done to enhance and improve the ability of Ethiopians to feed themselves? Nothing. So they are liars. And this scam is just a way for them to give away the water and other resources of Ethiopia to foreigners all the while claiming that it is for the benefit of Ethiopians when it isn't. After all, all these foreign mega farms need water don't they and do you really think these folks are going to harness that water and energy to provide it to Ethiopians? Seriously.
I agree with willd1mind that the 'green economy' for Africa is a suspicious program. The Tunisian solar project for example sounded like a great way for Tunisia to generate electricity until you find out that it was designed to export electricity to the European Union while asking Tunis to reduce CO2 emissions they hardly produce. On Europe, they have tried to sell the green economy as well. The systems they use like windmills have limited effect however. CO2 is also part of the atmosphere and vegetation relies on it for its survival and its ability to exhale oxygen that we humans depend on for our own survival. If the international community really wanted to help with energy for Africa, they could help with construction of power plants that run on agricultural wastes since the majority of Africans farm. There was a man from Uganda I believe that used animal waste to generate electricity not too long ago. The green economy as it is defined now is only in existence to benefit an elite few and to destroy the world economy in the process.
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