Rural 21 (engl. Ausgabe 1/2023)

Focus 1/2023: Energy – time for change

In addition to causing anxiety over global food security, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has put the issue of energy security right at the top of the political agenda. In combination with a fear of supply bottlenecks, the dramatic fossil fuel price hikes have given new impetus to a transition to low-carbon energy sources – which is urgently needed anyway given global warming. In November last year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) announced that overall capacity of renewables is to almost double world-wide in the coming five years. Then these “clean” energy carriers could replace coal as the biggest source of electricity generation. From 2022 to 2027, the IEA is reckoning with power produced from renewable sources amounting to 2,400 gigawatts (GW) – a volume corresponding to China’s total power generating capacity. China, the USA and India are set to be the biggest drivers of renewable energy development, the IEA continues. And they are precisely the countries responsible for the largest shares world-wide of CO₂ emissions (China: 33 %; USA: 13 %; India: 7 %). The latest edition takes a look at this change in global energy flows, the challenges which are currently emerging for Africa in particular in the energy sector and the role which the Global North plays in this context.