EVENT: Driving and constraining forces for a fair Fossil fuel phase-out in Africa
Date
9th June 2023
Time
3:00 – 5.00 pm GMT
Duration
2 hours (plus 30 min break)
Co-Facilitators
Policy Alert
Oxfam Senegal
Objectives
Map the driving and constraining forces for a fair fossil fuel phase-out in Africa and identify potential interventions PWYP can make to make this happen.
Support PWYP members to think about the national and regional strategies for supporting a fair fossil fuel phase-out.
Identity needs and resources for driving forward a strategy for fair fossil fuel phase-out in Africa.
Background & framing
The world needs to wean itself off fossil fuels and switch to cleaner energy sources to slow climate change and prevent the worst impacts. The imperative of the transition is not contested; the question is how fast and how far can we make it.
Since the industrial revolution, natural resources – notably fossil fuels – have underpinned our global economic system, shaping geopolitics and the course of human development. In Africa, more than half of oil and gas-producing countries rely on oil and gas exports for more than 50 percent of their total export revenues. At the same time, approximately 600 million (45%) Africans are without electricity.
Decoupling fossil fuels from economic growth – at the local, national, and global levels – will be complex and pose challenges to community cohesion, economic stability, and the efficacy of climate action. How the extractive industries of today and tomorrow are governed, operated, and held accountably will determine how just the energy transition will be.
But with the right backing and policies, many countries that currently export oil and gas could become leaders in renewables, kickstarting a new era of clean development, affordable energy access, and sustainable revenues. This, in turn, could unlock opportunities beyond the energy sector, in education, health, employment, and infrastructure, as the benefits of a just transition ripple out across society.
This parallel session will look at these driving and constraining forces in-depth and explore PWYP’s role in accelerating a fair fossil fuel phase-out.
