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Expanding large-scale wind and solar projects on the African continent and elsewhere, in areas dominated by underdevelopment, unemployment, and inequality, must move beyond existing industry models Large-scale wind and solar projects hold great promise for poorer countries and communities historically lacking access to affordable and reliable power and the associated development opportunities. This is according to the latest report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The report titled A Just Energy Transition for Communities: Large-Scale Wind and Solar Projects in Sub-Saharan Africa investigates the potential benefits of large-scale solar and wind energy projects to local communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. It indicates that climate change has made meeting SDG 7 (affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all) and the African Union’s Aspiration Goals 1 and 7 more challenging. “To which Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly vulnerable despite being the least responsible,” the report said. It states that while wind and solar projects offer significant opportunities for underserved communities, it’s important to realise that renewable energy initiatives can exacerbate socio-economic inequities, despite their intended goal of addressing climate change. “Emerging social injustices may touch on a variety of critical areas, including community dynamics, economic inequalities, and political governance. In communities, forced displacements and expropriations, ownership, job opportunities, and revenues are often distributed disproportionately; while certain groups enjoy favour, others are marginalised. “A lack of genuine consultation and participation can hamper effective community engagement and buy-in. Economic inequalities may be exacerbated as nations incur more debt to build infrastructure, leading to further financial distress.” for the energy transition to be just, project-affected communities must be empowered to play an active role Participation of communities in renewable energy projects is key for the energy transition to be just The report warns that, while the prospect of leveraging the community benefits of renewable energy projects is gaining traction across multiple countries as the exacerbated energy crisis puts pressure on governments for immediate solutions, some of the requirements for meaningful community participation, which is often a time-consuming process, are at risk of going unmet. It states that expanding large-scale wind and solar projects on the African continent and elsewhere, in areas dominated by underdevelopment, unemployment and inequality, must move beyond existing industry models. The report concludes that, “for the energy transition to be just, project-affected communities must be empowered to play an active role, sharing their deep local knowledge and exercising their right to participate in, and receive the benefits of, renewable energy projects. “The historic exclusion of communities by energy industries and projects (eg, extractives and large-scale infrastructure builds) has provided difficult and costly lessons that should inform the nascent renewable sector’s approach to community engagement.” |
