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The potential of five off-grid solar technologies for hundreds of millions of the most climate-vulnerable people in the world - who have done the least to contribute to climate change - can help build climate resilience and adapt to increasing extreme weather events, while mitigating emissions. A recent report by the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA) lists these technologies as solar energy kits (with communications appliances), solar irrigation, solar-powered fans, solar refrigeration units and solar-powered cold storage rooms. The Powering Climate Adaptation and Justice: The Critical Role of Off-Grid Solar Technologies report points out that those most vulnerable to climate change have contributed the least to this urgent challenge. Worse still, they cannot access the resources they need to protect themselves from the extreme weather events they are now forced to endure. For hundreds of millions of people, this includes a lack of electricity and the life-enhancing and life-saving appliances and services it powers. The US Department of Energys International Energy Annual 2002, said that Africa can easily be said to contribute the least of any continent to global warming. Each year Africa produces an average of just over one metric ton of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide per person. The African Development Bank says Africa is the most vulnerable continent to climate change impacts under all climate scenarios above 1.5 degrees Celsius. Despite having contributed the least to global warming and having the lowest emissions, Africa faces exponential collateral damage, posing systemic risks to its economies, infrastructure investments, water and food systems, public health, agriculture, and livelihoods, threatening to undo its modest development gains and slip into higher levels of extreme poverty. |
