Electricity and Control March 2025

Renewable energy + industrial sustainability WRITE @ THE BACK

Flipping the switch: is decarbonisation possible for Africa? Paul van Zijl, Group CEO at Starsight Energy, believes it is. Acknowledging that the path to decarbonisation in Africa presents significant challenges – and opportunities – he maintains that we must apply a contextual lens and move away from all-or-nothing thinking, adopting a holistic, phased and sustainable approach to the continent’s changing energy mix.

I n my view the global imperative to ‘decarbonise’ – the shi– from fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas or oil to carbon free and renewable energy sources – has been more of a stumble than a sprint in Africa. But, as always, context is important. In Africa, other pressing socio-economic needs o–en – understandably – take priority, and that limits available funding; a lack of infrastructure hampers development; and vested interests slow progress. All these factors have contributed to Africa’s relatively slow transition, for which it has been (o–en unfairly) criticised. The irony is that although Africa is far from being the leading perpetrator behind the world’s current carbon status – the continent is estimated to contribute less than 4% to global greenhouse gas emissions, making it one of the lowest emitters in the world – it is one of the regions most vulnerable to the e†ects of climate change. Africa’s temperature increases surpass the global average, and multi-year droughts in some parts of the continent juxtaposed with severe flooding in others are increasingly the norm. Without targeted intervention, an estimated 118 million Africans living in extreme poverty will face increased exposure to droughts, floods, and extreme heat in the coming years,

further straining poverty alleviation e†orts and economic growth. African countries are estimated to lose between 2 and 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP) annually and allocate up to 9% of their budgets to respond to climate extremes, according to the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) State of the Climate in Africa 2023 report. In sub-Saharan Africa, adaptation costs are projected to reach USD 30 to 50 billion by 2030, amounting to some 2 to 3% of the region’s GDP. Yet, Africa is estimated to receive only around 3% of global climate finance. Balancing funding to meet development priorities African countries, in general, do not have the same funding capabilities as the developed world, and priorities di†er. Poverty alleviation and economic participation/upli–ment are at the top of the list for most African governments, and this means the limited funding available needs to be allocated accordingly. In addition, recent conversations have highlighted the higher cost of debt for African nations, when compared to other sovereign issuances in emerging markets. Despite these significant challenges, Africa has a lot in its

Despite the challenges it faces, Africa has a lot in its favour in terms of renewable energy resources and the economic opportunities the energy transition presents.

10 Electricity + Control MARCH 2025