A just transition framework for oil rich Sub-Saharan Africa countries

This paper narrates the complexities presented to Oil Rich Sub-Saharan Africa countries endowment by the ongoing global energy transition. There is a global call for transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy to curb climate change. It is noted in literature that Global North who has developed their economies using fossil fuel and currently emit much more than the Global South mainly champion this call. For a just transition to occur (where the transition process is fair and does not cause unnecessary hardship to a people), there is need to consider the complexities of the process on ORSSA countries. ORSSA countries heavily rely on fossil fuel for economic growth and are energy poor which hinders their ability to diversify their economy. Gas is viewed to be have less environmental impact than coal but still contributes to climate change. Furthermore, many Global North countries still depend on gas for energy security due to the intermittency of renewable energy and its inability to power some energy intensive sectors such as cement and steel. ORSSA countries house about 40% of new gas discoveries in the last few years. This paper argues for continued use of gas as a transition fuel in ORSSA countries in their energy transition journey. It uses narrative enquiry to tell the story of this case study, provide better understanding, provide justification for the use of gas as a transition fuel for the ORSSA countries and make recommendation on how to better position their oil and gas to avoid stranded asset.