口ByBusaniBafana
NewYorkclimatepactgivesfreshimpetustoAfrica’slow-carbonindustrialization
TheParisagreementhasplacedAfricaenroutetoarenewableenergyrevolutiontodriveitslatecomerindustrializationprocessinacleanmanneroverthecomingyears.
LinusMofor,Seniorenergyandclimatechangeexpert,AfricanClimatePolicyCenter,UNEconomicCommissionforAfrica
OnApril22,worldleadersmetinNewYorkto
signthemajoragreementonunitedlycombatingclimatechangetheyhadreachedinParisinDecember2015.Thesigningceremonysetintoactiontheglobalimplementationofalong-termgoal:achievingzerocarbonemission.
PriortotheParismeet-formallyknownasthe21stsessionoftheConferenceofthePartiestotheUNFrameworkConventiononClimateChange-53Africancountriespledgedmeasurestoreducetheirgreenhousegasemissions,whichincludedgreateruseofrenewableenergy.
AsAfrica’seconomyexpandsbuoyedbyamineralboomandgrowinginvestorinterest,itisheavilydependentonfossilfuelsforindustrialization.Also,with620millionpeopleinAfricalivingwithoutelectricity,woodandcharcoalarethekeysourcesofenergyforamajority.Allthisiscausingpollutionasasideeffect.
TheParisAgreementisanimpetusforAfricatoseeksustainabledevelopmentbytappingintoitsabundantcleanenergysourcessuchaswindandsolarpower.
“TheParisAgreementhasplacedAfricaenroutetoarenewableenergyrevolutiontodriveitslatecomerindustrializationprocessinacleanmanneroverthecomingyears,”saidLinusMofor,aseniorenergyandclimatechangeexpertattheEthiopia-basedAfricanClimatePolicyCenteroftheUNEconomicCommissionforAfrica(ECA).
SomeAfricancountrieshavealreadymadeprogressinharnessingcleanerenergyfordevelopment.SouthAfricahasinvestedmorethan$6billiontogenerateover6gigawattofrenewablepowercapacitythroughitsRenewableEnergyIndependentPowerProducerProcurementProgram.Ethiopiaisdevelopingwindfarms.Ithasalsomobilizeddomesticresourcesforthe$4.8-billionGrandRenaissanceDam,whichwouldhaveageneratingcapacityof6,000MWwhencompletednextyear.
However,hydropowergenerationinAfricaistakingaknockfromwaterscarcity.Itistheresultofacontinentaldroughtaggravatedbytheimpactofclimatechange.
Kenyahasinvestedingeothermalpowerdevelopment,becomingagloballeaderinthesector.Ithasalsodevelopedwindpower,includingtheLakeTurkanaWindPowerProjectwithageneratingcapacityofover300MW.Between2010and2014,CaboVerdeincreaseditsrenewablepowercapacityby200percentto33MW,mainlyfromwindandsolarpower,takingtheshareofrenewablesinthenationalenergymixto34percentin2014
MofortoldChinAfricathefallinthecostoflowcarbonenergytechnologieshasmadethemcostcompetitivewithfossilfueltechnologies.Also,goinggreenwouldprovidejobs,foodsecurityandresourceefficiency.Itwouldincreaseglobalcompetitiveness,regionalintegrationandtrade.
“Soitisnotaboutmakingapainfulchoicebetweendirtyandcleanenergysources;itisaboutmakingtherightandsensiblechoiceforAfrica’senergysystems,”hesaid.“Itshouldthereforenotbeseenasachallengebutasanopportunityforanewandinclusivedevelopmentagenda.”
“Africastandstogainfromdevelopinglow-carbonenergy,andtheworldstandstogainfromAfricaavoidingthehigh-carbonpathwayfollowedbytoday’srichworldandemergingmarkets,”formerUNSecretaryGeneralKofiAnnanhadsaidinhisforewordtolastyear’sannualreportoftheAfricaProgressPanel,theinfluentialNGOheadedbyhim.
However,greenindustrializationinAfricaneedssubstantivepublicandprivatesectorinvestments.Fortheseinvestmentstohappen,developedcountriesneedtoassistwithfinance,technologytransferandcapacitydevelopment.
LessonsfromChina
CanAfricalearnfromChina’sprogresstowardalowcarboneconomy?
China,Africa’slargesttradingpartner,hasunveiledits13thFive-YearPlan(2016-20),aimingtoshiftfromheavilypollutingindustriestonewenergy-intensiveindustriestoeffectan18percentreductionincarbonintensityfromthe2015levels.
China,thesecondlargesteconomyintheworld,experiencedhugeeconomicgrowthoverthelastdecade,withmatchingenergyconsumptionwhichtriggeredenvironmentalandsocialchallenges.In2008,Chinawastheworld’slargestgreenhousegasemitterandfacedglobalpressureforradicalenvironmentalpolicychanges.
The13thFive-YearPlanembracessustainabledevelopmentandalow-carboneconomybylayingouttargetsandmeasurestoaddresssustainabilitychallenges,saidSongRanping,DevelopingCountryClimateActionManager,GlobalClimateProgram,atWorldResourcesInstitute,aresearchorganization.Thesechallengesincludeclimatechange,pollution,urbanizationandtransport.
“Itisasignificantstep[forChina]towardachievingitsParisAgreementpledgeandlong-termtransformation,”Songsaid.“Eachcountryisdifferent.SoitgoeswithoutsayingthatAfricacannotsimplycopyChina’sexperience.However,therearesomelessons.China’soldgrowthmodelinthepastwasenvironmentallyunsustainable.China’sover-relianceoncoal-firedpowerandheavyindustriesanditsgrowingvehicleownershipledtoseriousair,waterandsoilpollutionandcost[it]heavilyinpublichealth.”
“China’sexampledemonstratesverynicelythatmovingtoalow-carbonindustrializationpathwayisthesensiblethingtodo:itcreatesjobs,providesmoreopportunitiesforinclusion,increasesproductivityandglobalcompetitiveness,”Moforsaid.
Moforbelievesstructuraltransformation-whichtheECApromotestomeetAfrica’ssustainabledevelopmentobjectivesasframedbyAgenda2063,theAfricanUnion’sactionplantobuildaprosperousandunitedAfrica-willenableAfricatoindustrialize,usingitsfiniteresourcesinanefficientmanner.
“Indeed,Africa’seconomicgrowthtodatehasbeenmostlyfocusedonexportofrawmaterialintoaglobalmarketwithcomplexsupplyanddemandsidefactors,overwhichAfricancountrieshavelittlecontrol,”hesaid.
Paradoxically,Africacontributeslessthan4percentofglobalgreenhousegasemissionsbutsuffersthemostfromtheadverseimpactsofclimatechange.CA