AfricaLics Seminar, June 2024
Decarbonization is a global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. However, this effort is not without difficulties, especially in developing countries where limited energy access and climate change disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. This blog focuses on a presentation and a discussion led by Dr. Mafini Dosso, the president and head of research at OIITID[1], an international organization based in Cote d’Ivoire. OIITID specializes in research, innovation intelligence and knowledge creation to inform policy in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship in Côte d’Ivoire and the region.
Dr. Mafini Dosso was invited to present at a seminar held during the 10th AfricaLics PhD Academy in June 2024. The PhD academy was a collaborative effort organized by the University of Johannesburg in South Africa and the University of Thomas Sankara in Burkina Faso, with support from the AfricaLics Secretariat based at the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) in Kenya. Designed to foster intellectual exchange and capacity building, the academy brought together PhD students from African universities, researching on innovation and development, and along with a select group of master’s students aspiring to explore these fields. In addition to the students, members of the AfricaLics network, invited as facilitators and discussants, contributed their expertise, enriching the seminar with valuable insights and fostering in-depth discussions related to the topic.
Overview and Background
Globally, over 770 million[2] people still lack access to electricity, with the majority living in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Additionally, many have sporadic or unreliable access. Yet, energy access accounts for 73%[3] of the human-caused greenhouse emissions. High-income countries – most of which enjoy near-universal access to energy – contribute disproportionately to greenhouse gas emissions, and the per capita energy consumption in wealthy nations vastly exceeds that in developing regions, exacerbating global inequality and environmental degradation.
In striving to enhance their energy infrastructure to meet fundamental human needs and propel economic advancement, developing countries often initially rely on fossil fuels, including oil and gas products. Also, according to UNEP, over 3 billion[4] people globally depend on traditional biomass for cooking and heating, resulting in indoor air pollution with severe health consequences. While the continued use of fossil fuels and traditional biomass may, in the short run, be necessary for human development in developing countries, this pathway risks increasing global emissions unless accompanied by significant support for renewable energy adoption.
Reducing CO2 emissions through decarbonization requires a rapid transition to clean energy sources, such as geothermal energy, solar and wind power, and other energy-efficient technologies. Whereas some developing countries have extended incentives such as tax exemptions to clean energy adoption, the high initial investment costs remain prohibitive for the neediest. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the cost of clean energy projects in developing countries is more than twice that in advanced economies. High energy costs lead to increased production expenses and reduced profits, impacting industrial development in low-income countries and driving them towards importing finished goods, resulting in a negative balance of payments. Achieving the energy transition in developing economies will require an annual investment of US$5.8 trillion from 2023 to 2030, equivalent to 19% of their GDP[5]. Yet several developing countries are confronted with funding deficits and entangled in a perpetual cycle of debt. Currently, one in every three countries[6] is at a heightened risk of failing to meet their debt obligations.
In recent years, high-income countries have transitioned to electric vehicles, while developing nations predominantly import used diesel and gasoline cars. Between 2015 and 2018, over 14 million used vehicles were exported to developing countries, with over half of them finding their way to Africa[7]. Unfortunately, it has been observed that over 80% of these cars do not comply with roadworthiness standards or the Euro 4 vehicle emission standard, resulting in a 90% increase in emissions. In 2017, the average age of diesel vehicles imported into Uganda exceeded 20 years[8]. It is worth noting that approximately 30 African countries lack age limits for imported vehicles. Nigeria is the world’s fifth-largest importer[9] of used vehicles, with a median age of 17 years for light-duty vehicles and 18 years for heavy-duty vehicles imported from Europe. Additionally, most developing countries have large unpaved road networks[10] and greater exposure to traffic-generated dust. One area of concern is the potential health impacts of increased exposure to traffic-generated dust coupled with used vehicle emissions in developing countries, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly. Innovative technologies and cost-effective sustainable transportation solutions could offer potential solutions for reducing emissions and minimizing exposure to harmful particulates from unpaved roads in these regions. How consumer behavior and preferences will change over time is unclear, especially concerning adopting more active lifestyles less dependent on motorized transport.
Decarbonization of Transport in Africa: Innovations & Policy Options
Dr. Dosso presented selected findings from their collective study titled “Decarbonization of Transport in Africa: Opportunities, Challenges and Policy,” [11] published by the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC) and the Inter-Academy Partnership (IAP). Funded by ClimateWorks Foundation and the African Climate Foundation, , their report offers a thorough evaluation of Africa’s shift towards sustainable transportation. The project aimed to explore the opportunities and challenges of decarbonizing road transport across the continent by analyzing policies, institutional capacities, and technical strategies currently in place. Additionally, it mapped relevant technologies, innovations, and financing options, while also comparing social, legal, and regulatory frameworks to understand the current landscape. This analysis culminated in a series of recommendations intended to guide policy and promote effective decarbonization efforts in Africa’s transport sector.
Key Findings from the study
Decarbonization in Africa’s transport sector is advancing with multiple initiatives in line with the Paris Agreement. Key measures include policy adoption for electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, the conversion of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to EVs, and solar-powered charging stations. Battery swapping is also being introduced to address range anxiety among users. Additionally, there has been significant investment in Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) systems, such as the Algiers Metro and Addis Ababa Light Rail, and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems in various cities. These MRT and BRT systems offer efficient and cost-effective solutions that enhance urban mobility while reducing carbon emissions.
The study emphasizes the Enable-Avoid-Shift-Improve-Resilience (EASIR) framework as essential for sustainable transport, with “Resilience” added by this study to account for Africa’s unique infrastructure challenges (See Table 1). African governments are also employing a mix of policy tools, including market-based incentives, regulatory measures, and information campaigns to support transport decarbonization. However, electrification efforts face challenges as increased demand strains already fragile grids. Concerns regarding power generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure limit EV adoption and the expansion of charging networks.
Table1: The Enable-Avoid-Shift-Improve-Resilience framework
| Strategy | Description | Application in sustainable transport |
| Enable | Establishes the legal, institutional, and financial arrangements for effective decarbonization | Developing human resources, establishing licensing regimes, and establishing metropolitan transport authorities to enable the public sector to develop effective policies and coordinate services |
| Avoid | Reduce the distances of travel, through better urban planning and remote work practices. | Forecasting urban sprawl, providing IT infrastructure, and tax incentives for remote work, restricting vehicle access to busy areas, street redesign, promoting ridesharing, etc. |
| Shift | Adoption of more sustainable transport modes such as public transit, walking, and cycling. | Improving existing public transport to mitigate emissions, expansion of bike-sharing programs in urban areas, and investment in rapid transit systems like buses and metro lines. |
| Improve | Enhances the efficiency and environmental performance of transport systems through better vehicle, fuel, and network operations. | Adopting cleaner fuels, low emission vehicles, improving air quality and improve traffic management systems, promote EVs, restrict commercial hubs alongside highways, ensure loading and offloading zones as well as proper parking spaces are allocated in industrial and commercial areas. |
| Resilience | Enhance resilience and adaptive capacity of transport infrastructure to withstand changes. | Developing durable infrastructure, integrating flexible design features, engaging local communities in planning, and implementing adaptive management practices and response strategies. |
Despite these challenges, many African tech startups are heavily engaged in sustainable transport innovations, with about 500 startups in the sector attracting nearly $1.4 billion in venture capital over the past four years[12]. These startups are developing solutions for passenger services, logistics, and transport reliability, helping to address Africa’s unique challenges in accessibility, resilience, and carbon reduction. However, decarbonization efforts still face obstacles from existing oil and transport industries, access to talents and inadequate funding frameworks are a barrier to fully scaling these efforts across the continent.
Recommendations for Advancing Transport Decarbonization in Africa
The report presented by Dr. Mafini Dosso shows that to advance transport decarbonization in Africa, there is a need to:
- focus on promoting local efforts across cities and regions to encourage widespread adoption
- implement the Enable-Avoid-Shift-Improve-Resilience (EASIR) approach to ensure inclusive and holistic progress.
- provide incentives to boost local manufacturing, establishing research partnerships to assess energy demands and grid impacts,
- developing financing and policy mechanisms to support grid upgrades, charging infrastructure, and public transport improvements.
- prioritize the electrification of high-impact vehicle segments, enhancing current transport systems, and encouraging sustainable land-use development are also emphasized.
- foster collaborations with academia, industry, and civil society to strengthen the shift toward low-carbon transport technologies across the continent.
Concluding remarks
Based on the discussions in the seminar and given the disparities in the levels of development in different countries, we can conclude that it is important to devise strategies that fuse global technological developments into local systems while considering the level of development. Major structural and infrastructural changes and large investments are necessary to achieve energy access targets globally, including in hard-to-reach rural areas. Achieving these goals may require a redefinition of strategies and policies in developing countries, and this could take time given the lack of sufficient resources in many poor countries and the rigidity of the political systems in some nations. Additionally, adopting frontier technologies e.g. for electricity production should not exacerbate existing inequalities but benefit marginalized communities.
Reducing exposure to the effects of climate change is a complex issue and while decarbonization of the energy supply plays a role in this, there are many other development needs such as industrialization, deforestation, and transportation that require huge investment financing that is not available to many developing countries. Developed nations bear a moral and practical obligation to aid developing countries in tackling the issue of climate change. Through providing investment financing, facilitating technology transfer, aiding policy formulation, supporting sustainable infrastructure projects, improving market entry opportunities, and advocating for global climate initiatives, developed nations can assist developing countries in enhancing their resilience and transitioning towards a sustainable, low-carbon future. These efforts are imperative for attaining global climate targets and promoting fair and just development.
[1] https://oiitid.org/about-oiitid-a-propos/
[2] https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/86ede39e-4436-42d7-ba2a-edf61467e070/WorldEnergyOutlook2023.pdf
[3] https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals/affordable-and-clean-energy
[4] https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/sustainable-development-goals/why-do-sustainable-development-goals-matter/goal-7#:~:text=Target%207.,infrastructure%20and%20clean%20energy%20technology
[5] https://unctad.org/sdg-costing/energy-transition#:~:text=What%20would%20energy%20transition%20goals,equal%2019%25%20of%20their%20GDP.
[6] https://press.un.org/en/2023/sgsm21776.doc.htm
[7] https://www.unep.org/resources/report/global-trade-used-vehicles-report
[8] https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-54665545
[9] https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/transport/decarbonize-transport-help-developing-countries-deal-junkers-clunkers-and-jalopies
[10] https://undark.org/2024/01/02/green-roads/
[11] https://nasaconline.org/resource/decarbonisation-of-transport-in-africa-opportunities-challenges-and-policy/
[12] chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/connectivity-for-good/mobile-for-development/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Powering-Mobility-The-rise-of-digital-transportation-in-Africa.pdf