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African countries are witnessing a slowdown in coal power development, mirroring the global shift to the use of clean energy sources such as hydropower and solar, a new United Nations report has found.
The continent’s nations have, since 2016, been abandoning coal as a source of power in favour of cleaner alternatives. Renewables now account for 15 per cent of their sources of energy - lower than Brazil’s 50 per cent, but significantly higher than 0.7 per cent for fossil-rich West Asia.
Africa also generated about 23 per cent of its electricity from renewables, a significant amount compared to 3.5 per cent by countries in West Asia, but even lower compared to 87.7 per cent of the electricity from the same sources produced by Brazil.
The shift, however, excludes the southern African countries of Zimbabwe and South Africa that have continued investment in exploitation of coal as a primary energy source.
The analysis finds that the change in attitude towards coal offers a chance to adopt cleaner technologies. However, it cautions that energy transition success hinges on implementing supportive low-carbon policies, and enhancing the efficiency of foreign direct investment in renewable energy projects.
It further finds that while hydropower is the main source of renewable electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is “significant potential” for expanding solar and wind energy.
“In many Low Income Countries (LICs), particularly in Africa and India, renewables make up about 15 per cent of the total energy supply. This share is relatively high compared to high- and middle-income countries, due to the abundance of untapped renewable resources,” it states.
“In electricity generation, LICs in Africa and India have a renewable share of around 23 per cent, while LICs in the Middle East lag behind with only 3.5 per cent,” it further explains.
The report, Global Environment Outlook, Seventh Edition: A Future We Choose (GEO-7), was released during the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi. It notes that creating an enabling environment that eliminates institutional barriers and attracts investment is crucial to driving renewable energy adoption.
It defines LICs as those with a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita below $4,466, explaining that the countries often possess “abundant natural resources but have limited economic capacity”.
The countries are also facing ‘unique’ challenges in managing their energy transitions, making it essential to balance the exploitation of natural resources for “economic growth with sustainable practices”.
On circular economy, the document states that LICs, including those in Africa, will need “substantial support” from high- and middle-income nations, especially in developing environmentally sustainable infrastructure for housing, transportation, food, and energy.
This is more so in establishing effective waste management and resource recovery, particularly in rapidly expanding cities, where enhancing living conditions remains a key objective.
Even within a circular economy approach, their demand for materials will likely increase considerably until the mid-21st century, the report by the Nairobi-based UN Environment Programme (UNEP), explains.
Giving the example of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, the report states that Nigeria lacks sufficient recycling infrastructure to handle e-waste, relying heavily on the informal sector for “metal recovery”.
“About 100,000 people are engaged in informal e-waste processing, handling around half a million tons of discarded appliances each year. Although laws exist to ban e-waste imports and promote responsible management practices, weak enforcement remains a major obstacle,” it reads.
In 2019, the Nigerian government, with support from the Global Environment Facility and UNEP, launched a US$15 million initiative to develop a circular electronics system in an effort that united government, private sector, and civil society to foster a financially sustainable circular economy for electronics.
“The approach aims to safeguard the environment while creating safer jobs for informal workers. Key steps include implementing Extended Producer Responsibility legislation and encouraging regional and global sharing of knowledge on circular economy practices,” it adds.
Titled A future we chose. Why investing in Earth now can lead to a trillion-dollar benefit for all”, the document, a product of 287 multi-disciplinary scientists from 82 countries, explains that Indigenous Peoples’ values and “ways of being”, such as Sumak Kawsay of Ecuador or Ubuntu of Southern Africa, prioritise collective well-being for all life, challenging dominant formations of resource extraction and appropriation.
Overall the UNEP compilation finds that climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, desertification, and pollution and waste have taken a heavy toll on the people and economies across Africa and around the world.
The report presents the world with a choice for a path to a future devastated by climate change, diminishing nature, degraded land and polluted air or a change in direction leading to a secure, healthier planet, said Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director.
The director called on nations to invest in planetary health and drive their economies towards a thriving, sustainable future.
“Let us not forget the world has already made so much progress from global deals covering climate change, nature, land and biodiversity, and pollution and waste, to real-world change in the booming renewables industry, global coverage of protected areas, and the phasing out of toxic chemicals,” she added.
The assessment called on all actors to acknowledge the urgency of the global environmental crises, build on progress made in recent decades, and collaborate in the “co-design and implementation of integrated policies, strategies and actions to deliver a better future for all”.