Page 12 - Vol 28 Issue 29 2019

energy policy

Creating the conditions for a

globally just energy transition

Transitioning to renewable energy
can reduce CO2 emissions by 90%

ow can the energy transition themselves and the rest of the world. are needed for that to happen. As Laima
be organized in a globally just On the one hand, a rise in global carbon Eicke, one of the study’s authors, points
Hway? Will developing countries emissions will have a negative global out: “If the gap between early- and late-
struggle to transition to clean energy effect. On the other, late-transitioning decarbonising countries widens, so too
because they lack the financial and countries would be more susceptible to might the potential for disagreements,
technical means? A new Policy Brief by political instability and economic crisis. further slowing the transition.” To
the Institute for Advanced Sustainability For example, countries that are unable to prevent that scenario, many countries
Studies (IASS) focuses on the risks phase out fossil fuels quickly enough are at need commitments for financial and
of an uneven transition and makes risk of being excluded from international technical assistance to speed up their
concrete proposals to prevent such risks. trade and value chains. This is because energy transition processes to the degree
In their Policy Brief “Countering the risk of in a decarbonising global economy, the required by the Paris Agreement.
an uneven low-carbon energy transition,” carbon content of products will become The Meetings of the Marrakech
the authors Laima Eicke, Silvia Weko and an important factor for determining Partnership for Global Climate Action,
Prof. Andreas Goldthau from the IASS market access, and latecomers risk which includes representatives of various
write that meeting the technological being left behind. The resulting damage government levels as well as the private
and financial prerequisites for a global to their economies could be sustained. sector and investors, might open further
energy transition is crucial. Otherwise space for these discussions at COP25.
there is a danger that developing COP25 as a stepping stone to a global Other international platforms, bilateral
countries will not be able to make energy transition strategy programmes, and private actors can also
the change to more environmentally To limit global warming to 1.5 degrees play an important role. Initiatives like the
friendly energy systems and continue Celsius, all countries should have equal NDC Partnership highlight the potential
to lag behind in the energy transition opportunities to decarbonise their for aligning the activities of multiple
-- with far-reaching consequences for economies -- and consistent strategies

12 | AFRICAN POWER Mining & Oil Review Vol 28, Issue 29, 2019 Celebrating 10 years of excellence