Energy and Population in Sub-Saharan Africa: Energy for Four Billion?

• DOI: 10.3390/environments5100107
• Publication Date: 2018-09-25T15:12:26Z
• Authors: Kevin J. Warner; Glenn A. Jones
• Keywords: sub-Saharan Africa; 2. Zero hunger; 1. No poverty; 02 engineering and technology; Keywords: energy modelling; 7. Clean energy; 12. Responsible consumption; 13. Climate action; 11. Sustainability; 8. Economic growth; 0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering; population projections

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to several of the world’s least developed economies. Additionally, forty percent nearly one billion people in this region lack access basic electricity. There are initiatives and programs aimed at increasing electricity access, clean cooking fuel, renewable energy around world. Economic development efforts have traditionally relied on an economy’s use fossil fuels. However, global climate change agreements mitigation direct contrast with approach. As such, future must fit into larger energy–population–climate nexus sustainability. Here we utilise a quantitative approach examine three scenarios for sub-Saharan compare results nine historical examples economic development. While no perfect analogue was found, there lessons that can be learned from last half century efforts. We find UN projected population growth expected outpace non-renewable availability. The Africa, subsequent (4 by 2100), will represent significant strain 21st In sense, social likely tied increase per capita consumption. This not going come traditional fuels therefore require investment infrastructure.