Civil Engineering August 2022 | Vol 30 No 7

40 August 2022 Civil Engineering R ussia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent food, energy and other com- modity prices soaring, increasing the strains on African economies already hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The overlapping crises are affecting many parts of Africa’s energy systems, including reversing positive trends in improving access to modern energy, with 25 million more people in Africa living without electricity today compared with before the pandemic, according to the Africa Energy Outlook 2022 . At the same time, Africa is also already facing more severe effects from climate change than most other parts of the world – including massive droughts – despite bearing the least responsibility for the problem. Africa accounts for less than 3% of the world’s energy-related CO 2 emissions to date and has the lowest emis- sions per capita of any region. BRINGING ENERGY TO ALL AFRICANS Despite these challenges, the report finds that the global clean energy transition holds new promise for Africa’s economic and social development, with solar, other renewables and emerging areas such as critical minerals and green hydrogen of- fering strong growth potential if managed well. Increased international ambitions for cutting emissions are helping set a new course for the global energy sector amid declining clean technology costs and shifting global investment patterns. African countries are poised to benefit from these trends and attract increasing flows of climate finance. “Africa has had the raw end of the deal from the fossil fuel-based economy, receiving the smallest benefits and the biggest drawbacks, as underlined by the current energy crisis,” says IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “The new global energy economy that is emerging offers a more hopeful future for Africa, with huge potential for solar and other renewables to power its development – and new indus- trial opportunities in critical minerals and green hydrogen.” Africa needs investment in cheaper and cleaner energy The new Africa Energy Outlook 2022 report, released by the International Energy Agency (IEA), outlines how current crippling spikes in energy prices underscore the urgency and the benefits for African countries of accelerating the scale up of cheaper and cleaner sources of energy. Africa is home to 60% of the best solar resources worldwide