Listen to developing countries at climate talks

Since the 2015 Paris agreement, climate change events have successfully brought together heads of government, industrial players, leading jurists and academia in providing decision-relevant and actionable approaches to deliver the ambitious,climate-resilient, net-zero future for citizens across the globe.

This year COP 26 in November is the biggest summit to ever be held and comes at a time policymakers are contending with the impacts of both climate change and volatile energy markets.

Additionally, the summit will also offer valuable insights into how well to manage the transition to clean energy solutions, reduce the risks of price spikes for households and how to navigate future energy security challenges such as risk associated with geopolitical aspects.

Equally important, the discussion will cover the development of more robust infrastructure financing and investment mobilisation, especially for developing economies of Asia and Africa as they endeavour to transit to a low carbon economy.

To this end, there is a need to enhance instruments available for accessing finance such as public-private partnerships, which are integral towards realisation of a green financing agenda. Particularly this will complement the ever-shrinking public financial resources evident in developing countries.

In Kenya, for instance, a lot of effort is required towards realisation of increased uptake of clean and modern cooking solutions. The government has recognised the need to shift from polluting hazardous solid biomass to cleaner cooking fuels in an attempt to reduce health and environmental impacts.

As envisaged in the updated Nationally Determined contribution (NDC), Kenya has committed to cut greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions by 32 per cent by 2030 and further transit to clean cooking solutions by 2028.

Certainly, this is an area that requires investment hence the need for a concerted approach and non-State actors are critical to realisation of this endeavour

Another critical aspect is that changes in the energy sector must support social-economic development and improve the quality of life of people. With the transition from energy incumbents comes social shifts.

Not only is the environmental degradation menace going to be addressed by the entry of clean energy innovation, but also set to become a critical component of labour markets.

13m Workers

Data from International Energy Agency (IEA) reveal that these industries although nascent will grow to employ 13 million workers annually in clean energy and related sector globally

In the same breath as transition gains pace, it is expected that challenges associated with gender inequalities which have remained a drawback in our society will be addressed. Traditionally, cooking is a gendered activity whereby women and girls spend more time sourcing firewood and hence lose out on productive use of time.

It's imperative that economies especially those in Caribbean and developing world do acknowledge that women and girls are significantly and often disproportionately affected by energy poverty and that targeted actions are required to strengthen their agency to meet their household, productive and social needs.

But most fundamentally clean electrification is poised to become the dominant theme in the new energy economy, particularly in the post-pandemic dispensation, where the potential for increased variability on both the demand and supply side of the energy industry is eminent.

During this year’s United Nations Global Roundtable on Extractives President Kagame reiterated the need for a just, fair energy transition.

Specifically for resource-rich Africa, where fossil fuels and coal continue to predominately feature in their energy mix.

There is a need for a region-specific approach as informed by their context. One aspect that underpins a just and fair transition argument is how the change will be people-centred and mindful and directly reduce energy poverty.

African economies should not allow bullying and lecturing by the rich economies. There is an accelerated attempt by major developed nations to shift goalposts of the Paris agreement by calling for all countries to adopt net-zero targets by 2050.

As such, it is important to look at the arguments advanced by developing economies but not one-size-fits-all solutions.

Thuo Njoroge Daniel, energy economist and director of policy and strategy at The Africa Utility Forum