Fossil Fuel Issue in Africa

Europe and the United States have executed a ‘blanket ban’ on supplying inexpensive and reliable energy to people living in poor countries by ending funding for energy infrastructure projects that rely on natural gas.  ¹

In April 2021, seven European countries pledged to stop important support for fossil fuel projects abroad. They joined the United states and other European countries in stopping funding for energy infrastructure projects. This blanket ban will entrench poverty in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, but do little to reduce the world’s carbon emissions. ²

Without abundant fuel and power, prosperity is impossible

Africa accounts for around 17% of the world’s people but less than 4% of annual global carbon emissions. It is not fair for rich countries to fight climate change at the cost of low income countries’ development and climate resilience. Instead, rich countries should help African governments to pursue a broad portfolio of energy sources for rapid sustainable development.

Without abundant fuel and power, prosperity is impossible: workers cannot amplify their production, doctors cannot preserve vaccines, students cannot learn after dark, goods cannot get to market. Nearly 700 million Africans rely mainly on wood or dung to cook and heat with, and 600 million have no access to electric light. Britain with 60 million people has nearly as much electricity generating capacity as the whole of sub-Saharan Africa, minus South Africa with 800 million.  ³

As Dr. Vijaya Ramachandran details, a de facto natural gas ban effectively does nothing to propel growth in intermittently available wind and solar energy. These renewable sources require a back-up energy supply that is ever-ready when the sun in not shining or wind is not blowing. They cannot function effectively as stand-alone energy sources. This ban on inexpensive and reliable energy in poor countries does not reduce CO2 emissions or mitigate climate change. Instead, banning gas serves to keep people living in poorer countries entrenched in poverty.  ²

Natural gas is a fossil fuel, but it could do much to lift communities out of poverty efficiently. It is roughly twice as carbon efficient an energy source as coal, and is abundant in many African countries outside North Africa, including Nigeria, Mozambique, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is estimated that if the 48 African countries tripled their electricity consumption overnight through the use of natural gas, the resulting carbon  emissions would be less than 1% of the global total.  ⁴

Natural gas also offers the best way to modernize food production and transport. Despite impressive efforts in solar irrigation systems across Africa, natural gas is still better for large-scale agriculture; it is reliable, inexpensive and burns more cleanly than other fossil fuels. It can be stored until needed, It is one of the best feedstocks for producing synthetic fertilizer; it can power cars, buses, trucks and ships, plus cold-storage systems. That means less food will spoil, and farmers can supply more food with less land.

Africa needs reliable energy infrastructure, not rich-world hypocrisy.

References

1. Kenneth Richard, “Professor: natural gas could supply 600 millionAfricans with electricity…so Europe, USA ban its use,” notrickszone.com, June 28, 2021
2. Vijaya Ramachandran,“Blanket ban on fossil fuel funds will entrench poverty,” nature.com, April 20, 2021
3. Matt Ridley, “Africa needs to be rich—rather than green,” the gwpf.com, April 27, 2015
4. Todd Moss, “Africa in not a (coal) country: a reply to nature energy,” energyforgrowth.org, January 27, 2021

Jack Dini is author of Challenging Environmental Mythology.  He has also written for American Council on Science and Health, Environment & Climate News, and Hawaii Reporter.