A contested agenda: Energy transitions in lower-income African countries

Abstract

Both at last year's COP26 and at the recent COP27, a conflict erupted between Western and African governments over the reduction in development finance for fossil-fuel projects. The controversy points to the need for a better understanding of the role of politics and power in energy transitions in lower income African countries. Based on a literature review and data, this paper argues that concerns over energy security and a focus on developing domestic sources of energy are similar across countries, but also that differences in resource endowments decisively influence the potential for energy transitions. While countries that are rich in fossil fuels develop their power sectors using these forms of energy, other countries display a greater openness to developing sources of domestic renewable energy. Resource endowments in turn influence the finance that can be mobilized and the types of coalitions that can be forged between international development donors, international finance, governments and other domestic actors. This implies that, if a transition to more sustainable forms of energy is the goal, diversified and context-specific approaches and a willingness to work across energy sources and technologies are required.