Africa’s energy transition: the need for gas, nuclear and renewables

Africa’s energy transition: the need for gas, nuclear and renewables

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The continent is on track to become a major global carbon emitter if the current fossil fuel-dependent trajectory prevails.

Overview

Africa exports much of its fuel sources, yet a large portion of its people lacks access to electricity. With rapid population growth and increased energy demand, the continent will become a major global carbon emitter if the current fossil fuel-dependent trajectory prevails. What are the implications of a reasonable transition to renewables in Africa and how important is a global carbon tax to finance that transition?

This seminar will examine findings from two reports on Africa's climate and energy futures, developed by the Institute for Security Studies’ African Futures programme. The reports explore various scenarios that track the impact of a global carbon tax, aggressive energy policies, and sustainable practices.

This seminar is co-hosted by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and AUDA-NEPAD. It is the second of four events in the Erudite series on Forecasting African futures: empowering African Union (AU) member states.

Moderator: Pamla Gopaul, Senior Programme Officer, Data Analyst, AUDA – NEPAD

Presenter: Alize le Roux, Senior Researcher, African Futures & Innovation, ISS

Panelists: 

  • Dr Kennedy Manduna, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Wits School of Governance
  • Kgaugelo Mkumbeni, Research Officer, Climate Risk and Human Security, ISS

Image: Philou1000 via Getty Images


Development partners

This seminar is funded by The Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Hanns Seidel Foundation and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The ISS is also grateful for support from the members of the ISS Partnership Forum: the Hanns Seidel Foundation, the European Union, the Open Society Foundations and the governments of Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

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