This is a familiar pattern. International financial institutions socialise risk and privatise profit, while invoking development rhetoric to justify fossil fuel expansion in the Global South. Similar projects would be politically untenable in the Global North
Countries like Brazil and Ethiopia push for development that is led by renewable energy but other members of the Brics block are protecting their fossil fuel interests
Africa will adopt EVs when it has a reliable electricity supply, as well as charging stations, good roads and a reliable electricity supply
When nations develop and implement self-sustaining policies, they build resilience against external shocks and gain the capacity to determine their own futures
Through investment in technologies and expertise, proper regulations and collaboration between African governments and other actors, the continent can embark on a solid energy transition
Reparations are not only for slavery and colonialism, it’s also for the Global North’s environmental legacy and their disproportionate carbon emissions that harm Africa
This is an opportunity for the Global South to forge new paths, emphasising regional cooperation, community-driven solutions and innovative financing
The transition to renewable energy in Africa presents an opportunity to promote gender equality and empower the youth
Just Energy Transition Partnerships, as currently structured, represent a form of neocolonialism that undermines African sovereignty and development
But the financing models, which blend loans with private investments, could deepen African countries’ debt crisis