SDSN South Africa: Africa's energy and climate future

Alize le Roux presented at the SDSN South Africa virtual member coffee chat.

Should the continent proceed on the same fossil fuel development pathway as today’s more prosperous economies,  Africa will be associated with significant increases in energy demand and related carbon emissions.

By 2065, Africa will release more carbon from fossil fuels than China as its energy demand grows. In the longer term, constraining carbon emissions globally may depend on what happens with Africa’s energy future.

Instead of merely curbing fossil fuel production, Africa’s most significant contribution to a sustainable future lies in its potential to serve as a carbon sink. This can be achieved through robust policies on reforestation, enhanced land management, and associated measures.

Alize presented our analysis on Africa's Climate and Energy Futures at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) South Africa member's coffee chat for May. She unpacked Africa's energy transition and discussed the impact of a global carbon tax framework.

Key discussions centered around how Africa will navigate its future energy transition and the impact of a global carbon tax framework in our fight to combat climate crises.

Discover more:

• How will Africa navigate its future energy transition?
• An urgent call for a global carbon tax framework to combat the climate crisis

Image: USAID/Power Africa/Sameer Halai

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