The African continent it at a critical turning point. The region’s energy demand is set to skyrocket just as climate change is starting to impact local livelihoods in earnest. African countries are among those most vulnerable to climate change despite having contributed the least to the climate crisis. Faced by a sharp population growth, and a need to develop local and national economies, Africa also must simultaneously contend with the urgent imperative to keep emissions in check. It’s a tall order. Indeed, Africa is a perfect example of what is known as the energy trilemma: the tricky problem of creating enough energy while also keeping that energy sustainable and affordable.Â
What makes Africa’s situation so unique and so dire is the intense scale of each of these trends. The continent has some of the most underdeveloped energy grids on the globe, and is also facing the biggest population boom anywhere on Earth….
