Kenya is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. This means there is an increased demand for energy by consumers, including households, transport and various industries.
Imported refined petroleum products remain the dominant fossil fuel and therefore the sector has a significant workforce engaged in the value chains. As fossil fuels are phased out, new challenges and opportunities will continue to emerge for Kenyan workers.
A low-carbon economy is, for instance, expected to lead to a net increase in the number of energy sector jobs with the creation of additional new jobs in renewables, energy efficiency, the circular economy and related sectors. A just transition dictates striking a balance between having a healthy green economy and a clean environment.
Any measures taken ought to ensure that the affected parties are considered by those making decisions. The rights of Kenyan workers in the energy sector must therefore be taken into consideration due to the possible job misalignments that might arise.
The International Labour Organisation has given guidelines for a just energy transition policy frameworks. Some considerations in the sector must be considered.
For instance, misalignments are expected in that the creation of the new jobs might not take place on the same time scale as the loss of employment. New jobs are not necessarily being created in the same locations where the job losses occur in terms of regions and community beneficiaries.
The skills required for the redundant jobs are not expected to match in entirety those required for emerging jobs thus a need for upskilling. Further and in light of different supply chains structures and different inputs between new industries and those that will be terminated by the energy transition, job gains and losses is likely to affect different sectors of the economy.
Some of these job losses and misalignments have already been felt with the scaling down of activities on exploitation of Kenya’s crude oil reserves. A just energy transition should therefore be founded on the pillars of decent work, which are: social dialogue, social protection, rights at work and employment.
Adoption of concerted efforts in policy making as well as regulatory framework attuned to the energy transition will ensure such misalignments are mitigated and or do not occur at all, if the rights of Kenyan workers in the energy sector are to be safeguarded. Such frameworks should be aimed at upskilling and retaining the existing work force whose involvement in the sector has been centred on fossil fuels, equipping the current and future workers.
The writer is an energy lawyer and a director at an energy & climate policy firm.
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