Achieving Sustainable Energy Transition; - What Works in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Abstract According to a United Nations report from November, 2022, the world population reached 8 billion for the first time in human history with 6.74 billion people living in low and middle - income countries (LMICs) and 1.3 billion living in developed countries. 53 of Africa's 54 countries fall under the former category. The population of Africa is estimated to be 1.4 billion with 1.17 billion in sub-Saharan Africa. Presently, 770 million people globally have no access to electricity mostly in Africa and Asia with 3.8 billion depending on solid fuels for cooking and other domestic uses. Data obtained from WHO reported that 568 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are living without access to electricity and clean energy. In developing nations, wood, charcoal, and dung are commonly used as traditional cooking fuels, with wood being the primary source of energy. The emission from these fuels in addition to those from fossil fuels further reduces the quality of air which causes ambient air pollution, a condition with adverse effects on human health. However, there are initiatives that have been adopted to alleviate the problems including the future expectation for global access to clean energy as conveyed in the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (goal number 7); the 2063 African Union Commission Agenda; the Paris Agreement at COP21; and the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All (SE4A). This paper reviews historical trends in energy usage in sub-Saharan Africa, the present conditions and status of development, across policy and technological prongs, in terms of the current energy transition. Furthermore, the paper seeks to highlight opportunities for future sustainable energy development across all sectors and businesses in order to provide energy to the 568 million without access in sub-Saharan Africa, while bearing in mind the environmental implications for the global population at large.