credits, slash 40 percent of domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and create 1.5 million jobs. However, events such as the Sustainable Energy for All Forum, Climate Week and Global Energy Transition in New York, and the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum in Miami, show that the discussion is not over, nor is it global.
During the recent Sustainable Energy for All Forum held in Kigali (Rwanda) last May – the first time held outside of the Global North and supported by the OPEC Fund – the message was clear. We cannot talk about energy transition in a world where 750 million people lack access to electricity. With nearly 600 million of them (80 percent) present in Africa alone, the OPEC Fund’s Senior Director for Strategic Planning and Economic Services Shaimaa Al-Sheiby is on point: “The
the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is hard at work assessing these dynamics, 40 years on since its founding. We call for more of what brought us to this point – deep techno-economic research and cutting-edge policy advice – which lays the foundation for market-based climate action. We are also evolving from what started as a typical US- based think tank, to one that thinks outside the box, innovates on how we can accelerate the scale of our impact, and partners with others to respond to global dynamics with capacity building, workforce development, and leadership empowerment. Understanding that there is a role for gas in the energy transition in the Global South is the start. Just like it had a role and still has a role in the Global North today. Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan is a clear example of that, with a provision for gas to be used as a transition fuel to address the energy poverty and health impacts of both power and cooking sectors. Despite its inclusion, the plan is also clear about the longer-term solution away from gas that renewable energy provides: addressing 65 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, mobilizing US$410 billion of additional finance, and creating 840,000 net jobs by 2050. This is the kind of energy transition
Ricardo José Gómez Puternicki, Senior Counsel General Counsel & Legal Services “Our first priority should be to make the best use of the reliable energy sources we have because there’s still
battle of climate change will be won or lost in the Global South.” The point
was reiterated after engaging ministers at the 2022 Africa Energy Forum the
750 million people who have no access to electricity at all. If we can efficiently harness hydrogen, maximize carbon capture and minimize CO2 emissions, then we can really make huge progress
same week when the OPEC Fund held its
first Development Forum in June in Vienna. Following our engagements with private, public sector, and civil society leaders
towards our climate goals – and do so, crucially, without jeopardizing economic growth.”
across Asia, Africa, and the Americas, and while Europe debates the role of hydrocarbons, nuclear, and coal,
24
Powered by FlippingBook