Africa Quarterly Update: Human rights in the energy transition
Raphael Pouget, Climate Visuals Countdown
Africa’s contribution to global carbon emissions is just 3.8%. Yet Africa’s people are the first and worst affected. Uncertain rainfall, droughts and floods are leading to crop failure, famine, as well as food and water insecurity for many millions.
These risks impact on national economies and the lives of millions of people, with devastating consequences for poverty, social progress, and shared prosperity. On the positive side, the region’s assets include significant renewable energy potential and an abundant supply of minerals vital for driving a global transition to net zero. As COP27 approaches, the large reserves of transition minerals represent a vast opportunity for Africa, for investors, and for a world teetering on the brink of climate catastrophe – but without a strengthened focus on human rights, the potential will not be realised.
The eight edition of our Africa Quarterly Update highlights the human rights concerns in the upstream and downstream sections of Africa’s energy transitions. It also includes voices from advocacy groups as well as tools and resources for companies and investors to ensure they play their part in a just transition.