Dumisani Chirambo

Africa is a continent that has abundant renewable and non-renewable energy resources. Regardless of the presence of these resources, it is noted that the con-tinent has significant challenges in providing reliable and modern energy services to most of its population, thereby increasing people’s dependence on biomass, and consequently hindering their potential to overcome poverty and attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Through a review of energy policies, energy sector studies, and socioeconomic development reports, this article provides some insights into how the renewable energy and non-renewable energy sectors can be enhanced in the context of current opportunities and challenges in Africa. Since the current state of technology is deemed sufficient to provide adequate energy for Africa, there should be an emphasis on developing the right institutions to make do with local energy resources and capital. Special attention is given to climate financing instruments (such as...

Poverty and climate change vulnerability is increasing in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) because the region lacks education and skills development facilities, and sustainable governance systems. Arguably, mainstreaming climate literacy in secondary schools through Information and Communications Technology (ICT) modalities can promote sustainable development and climate change resilience by providing early opportunities for the youth to gain knowledge and awareness of the behavioral and cultural changes that may foster improved climate change resilience. Through an inductive analysis based on research articles, case studies, policy briefs, and academic literature reviews, this chapter sought to highlight emerging ICT learning contexts in SSA as a means to determine the extent to which ICT may be used to promote climate change and sustainable development education in secondary schools. The chapter showed that climate literacy at secondary schools was being constrained by a lack of climate c...

Climate change is a threat to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as it can perpetuate poverty and inequality particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Whilst most of the impacts of climate change can be expressed in monetary forms, policy-makers have also got the task of addressing the Non-Economic Loss and Damage (NELD) impacts of change (i.e. negative impacts of climate change that are difficult to measure or quantify). Arguably, addressing the climate change NonEconomic Loss and Damage (NELD) impacts such as negative impacts on identity, agency and intrinsic values, require risk and vulnerability assessments of the side effects of mitigation and adaptation to be undertaken in a decentralised and participatory manner (Serdeczmy et al., 2016). Some climate change discussions have also emphasised the need for global policy makers to increase funding towards climate change mitigation and adaptation programs and developing the abilities of institutions in developing...

Aim: Despite the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to reduce climate change vulnerability and inequality particularly in the Global South, it is probable that the SDGs and NDCs might not achieve their objectives. The aim of this article is to identify how countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) can address their climate change governance and cross-sector coordination challenges in order to reduce climate change vulnerability and augment SDG 7 (universal energy access) implementation.   Design / Research methods: A qualitative content analysis was undertaken using research articles, project reports, a case study and policy briefs exploring the nexus of climate change governance, SDG 7 implementation and SDG 13 implementation in the context of SSA and Malawi.   Conclusions / findings: The study suggests that climate change governance and attaining SDG 7 in the Global South might be improved by harmonising NDC activi...

Some studies indicate that climate change policy failures are endemic to policymakers in both developed and developing countries. Consequently, the increased vulnerability of people in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) can partly be attributed to developed-country stakeholders’ inability to understand climate change vulnerability in the context of SSA and a fear on the part of policymakers to implement substantive policy innovations. In order to determine how social innovation and entrepreneurship can be harnessed to enhance climate change resilience and improve the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an inductive analysis using secondary data consisting of research articles, policy briefs, project reports and case studies was undertaken. Agribusiness development–focused entrepreneurship and social innovation were noted to have the potential to facilitate the development of new institutions and social systems that can correct structural inequalities and improve invest...

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require state and non-state actors to reduce the vulnerability of communities to climate related extreme events, and other economic, social and environmental shocks; and for universal access to modern energy by 2030. Achieving this will require implementing new radical approaches to accelerate decen¬tralised energy services provision. Through an analysis of data from various research articles, policy briefs and project reports, the paper discovered that polycentric governance systems can enhance Africa’s renewable energy institutional capacity and create new social systems to facilitate successful climate change mitigation and energy transitions for universal energy access. Moreover, despite the presence on various climate finance mechanisms to promote transitions towards low carbon development, in the absence of restrictive supply-side policy instruments targeting fossil fuels, Africa will be locked-in fossil fuel energy supply systems rathe...

Africa might not achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) because climate change will exacerbate poverty and inequality in the region. Moreover, many African cities are characterised by poor urban planning, gaps in public services and infrastructure and settlement in hazard-prone areas leading to increased climate change vulnerability as city governments/local governments fail to mainstream climate change mitigation and adaptation into local planning. However, social innovations are practices that bring about changes in attitudes, behaviour, or perceptions, resulting in new social practices, new institutions and new social systems,

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are calling for developing and developed nations to strive to end inequality, promote universal access to electricity and enhance climate change mitigation. However, ensuring that the SDGs can be achieved will require significant new investments from both the public sector and corporate sector. For example, it has been estimated that climate change adaptation costs in Africa may rise to above US$100 billion per year by 2050, hence likely surpassing the magnitude to which the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes can mobilise climate funds. There have therefore been urgent calls for the private sector and corporate world to provide additional financial and technical assistance for SDGs implementation at all levels. Some studies have shown that climate resilient development in any country is feasible provided that a range of market and policy failures are corrected; and new technologies, business models, and f...

Aim: Despite the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to reduce climate change vulnerability and inequality particularly in the Global South, it is probable that the SDGs and NDCs might not achieve their objectives. The aim of this article is to identify how countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) can address their climate change governance and cross-sector coordination challenges in order to reduce climate change vulnerability and augment SDG 7 (universal energy access) implementation. Design / Research methods: A qualitative content analysis was undertaken using research articles, project reports, a case study and policy briefs exploring the nexus of climate change governance, SDG 7 implementation and SDG 13 implementation in the context of SSA and Malawi. Conclusions / findings: The study suggests that climate change governance and attaining SDG 7 in the Global South might be improved by harmonising NDC activities...

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is one of the least electrified regions in the world and also a region that is characterized by poverty and inequality due to high levels of climate change vulnerability. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, SSA policymakers are compelled to devise new innovative strategies and policies to enhance investments in renewable energy technologies (RETs). Accordingly, this chapter provides an assessment of some strategies to accelerate RET deployment and the potential of polycentric governance systems to improve RET deployment. The assessment concluded that even though renewable energy investments through climate finance and microfinance modalities are not at a level sufficient to ensure that universal energy access can be attained in the region, SSA can still accelerate its progress on RET deployment by utilizing nationally determined contributions as instruments to direct South-South aid,...

Africa’s urban morphology is expected to develop at a steady rate between 2020 and 2050. Population growth, rising urbanization rates, growing energy consumption, and industrialization are only a few of the reasons causing these changes. Likewise, waste production is projected to rise from 125 million tons in 2012 to 244 million tons annually by 2025. Around 60.0% and 80.0% of African waste is made up of organic material, which is a viable methane source. Fly tipping, free disposal, landfilling, and incineration have been used as a large-scale waste treatment system in most African cities. However, with the anticipated morphological changes, these solutions are no longer viable in the future due to lack of airspace, availability of urban land for new landfill sites, and concerns over carbon emissions. This chapter discusses the potential for improved adoption of material recycling facilities (MRF) in urban environments as an incentive to support waste diversion from landfills, decen...

Even though the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change introduced the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) framework as a novel mechanism for improving climate change governance and promoting sustainable development, some studies show that NDCs are still far from achieving the 2°C target. Non-state actors from the informal economy can potentially improve the implementation of the NDCs framework and Sustainable Development Goals framework as much of the urban population growth occurring in developing nations is taking place in slums/informal settlements. This paper is therefore an inductive inquiry to address knowledge gaps on how non-state actors can augment Earth System Governance and NDC implementation in the context of Global South cities. The paper highlights that Earth System Governance and climate change adaptation may be improved by increasing the use of South-South Climate Finance mechanisms in urban adaptation programmes and to facilitate institutional ...

Climate change is likely to exacerbate inequality and poverty in Global South cities despite the presence of international agreements and conventions to enhance sustainable development such as the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Moreover, replicating Global North development models in the Global South might not be sufficient to address the climate change and development aspirations in the context of Asia; hence, Global North innovation capabilities might not be sufficient to address Global South climate change challenges. This paper provides an inductive analysis of the innovations and policies that could facilitate improved climate change mitigation and adaptation in the context of developing Asian cities. The paper concludes that innovative climate change policies should utilise emerging climate finance mechanisms such as South-South climate finance modalities to promote community science/citizen science and social innovation rather than building hard...

Even though the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change introduced the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) framework as a novel mechanism for improving climate change governance and promoting sustainable development, some studies show that NDCs are still far from achieving the 2°C target. Non-state actors from the informal economy can potentially improve the implementation of the NDCs framework and Sustainable Development Goals framework as much of the urban population growth occurring in developing nations is taking place in slums/informal settlements. This paper is therefore an inductive inquiry to address knowledge gaps on how non-state actors can augment Earth System Governance and NDC implementation in the context of Global South cities. The paper highlights that Earth System Governance and climate change adaptation may be improved by increasing the use of South-South Climate Finance mechanisms in urban adaptation programmes and to facilitate institutional ...

Africa is a continent that has abundant renewable and non-renewable energy resources. Regardless of the presence of these resources, it is noted that the continent has significant challenges in providing reliable and modern energy services to most of its population, thereby increasing people’s dependence on biomass, and consequently hindering their potential to overcome poverty and attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Through a review of energy policies, energy sector studies, and socioeconomic development reports, this article provides some insights into how the renewable energy and non-renewable energy sectors can be enhanced in the context of current opportunities and challenges in Africa. Since the current state of technology is deemed sufficient to provide adequate energy for Africa, there should be an emphasis on developing the right institutions to make do with local energy resources and capital. Special attention is given to climate financing instruments (such as the Clean Development Mechanism [CDM]) and their potential contribution to African societies and energy sectors. With persistent interest by international donors to encourage CDM projects in least developed countries and growing foreign direct investment in Africa by Chinese firms, there are strong possibilities that Africa’s energy sectors, other infrastructure, and human and institutional capacity building can grow and develop more rapidly than historical trends. Enhanced private sector participation and energy sub-sector policies and strategies might hold the key to achieving this.