Problematizing the Just Energy Transition from a Sub-Saharan Africa Context: Insights from Key Developmental Concepts

Vincent Onyango (Lead / Corresponding author), Paola Gazzola

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter (peer-reviewed)peer-review

    Abstract

    The significance and complexity surrounding Just Energy Transition’s (JET) connotations and implementation, especially for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), is raising concern and agitation for economic development, environmental governance, morality, fairness, and inclusiveness, leading to questions whether global development requires a transformative equity and justice focus. Questioning its universal applicability, this chapter will problematise JET from a SSA context, asking whether JET is a priority in SSA, and if so, what aims, objectives and form it should take. Thus, we consider to what extent we can find alternative alignments between JET and key development concepts, i.e., Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (MHN), Sustainable Development Goals, a Human Rights-Based Approach) and one environmental concept (Polluter Pays Principle, or PPP). Based on these development concepts, we highlight areas of concern for which SSA will require deeper context-specific analysis and deliberations, for JET decisions (policies, strategies, objectives). While SSA’s priority is attaining energy self-sufficiency, JET’s aims can primarily be formulated around the three most widely used arguments i.e., EKC, MHN and PPP, while integrating the other two or more concepts as necessary. As SSA countries differ in terms of climate change vulnerability, energy conditions and levels of socio-economic development, interpreting JET will vary by region, country, and community groups, producing many interpretations of what JET policies and strategies may look like at different scales.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationThe Palgrave Handbook of Zero Carbon Energy Systems and Energy Transitions
    EditorsGeoffrey Wood, Vincent Onyango, Komali Yenneti, Maria Anastasia Liakopoulou
    PublisherPalgrave Macmillan
    Number of pages24
    ISBN (Electronic)9783030743802
    DOIs
    Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 28 Feb 2024

    Publication series

    NamePalgrave Studies in Energy Transitions
    ISSN (Print)2731-3042
    ISSN (Electronic)2731-3050

    Keywords

    • Just energy transition
    • Sub-Saharan Africa
    • Energy justice
    • Energy transition
    • development concepts

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