Towards Sustainable Energy Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and Opportunities

Justyna Tomala, Mateusz Mierzejewski, Maria Urbaniec and Sergio Martinez
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Justyna Tomala: Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Cracow University of Economics, ul. Rakowicka 27, 31-510 Kraków, Poland
Mateusz Mierzejewski: Department of Organization Development, Cracow University of Economics, ul. Rakowicka 27, 31-510 Kraków, Poland
Sergio Martinez: Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-18

Abstract: Sub-Saharan Africa is considered a region with enormous economic and demographic potential. One of the main challenges it faces, included in the “Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, implemented by the African Union”, is to provide access to electricity. Currently, 600 million inhabitants of the African continent do not have access to electricity, which is a significant limiting factor for further economic growth and socio-economic development. Moreover, the measures taken by individual Sub-Saharan African countries appear insufficient in the face of rapid population growth. The aim of the article is to analyse the opportunities and challenges of the development of Sub-Saharan Africa’s energy sector. This raises the following research question: to what extent can a sustainable energy transition be achieved in sub-Saharan African countries to ensure access to electricity? The study used Ward’s hierarchical clustering method, classification and regression tree analysis, and the distance-weighted least squares method. The results show that the level of development of the energy sector in the individual countries of Sub-Saharan Africa varies greatly. Moreover, the Sub-Saharan African region is exposed to the effects of climate change, which also affects the development of the energy sector and whether or not access to electricity can be ensured. The study contributes to assessments of the adaptive capacity and transformative potential of the energy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is particularly important for achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 7, which relates to building more robust and efficient systems, as well as implementing diversified energy sources. This research is crucial to bridge the energy access gap and build a resilient and sustainable economy in Sub-Saharan Africa countries.

Keywords: Sub-Saharan Africa; energy sector; access to electricity; sustainable development; Goal 7 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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