Distributed Renewable Economy for Africa’s Transformation

Human history over the millennia has been shaped by major social transformation processes. These transformational processes redefined the key features of socio-economic relationships both within communities and across nations. But they have also fundamentally redefined our relationship with the natural environment. Outcomes of major studies conducted by global research groups, including International Panels such as the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Resource Panel (IRP), indicate that we have already overshot the global carrying capacity of the natural environment in some key areas while we are approaching to the limit in others. Based on this, one can conclude that the global community is standing at a threshold of a major social transformation at a scale of the agricultural and industrial transformations. At the center of this change is the development of and transition to economies that are more inclusive, less dependent on non-renewable energy resources and more efficient in their use of natural resources. While Africa is equally, if not more, challenged by the emerging global drivers and pressures, it has a unique opportunity of leapfrogging to a more inclusive, sustainable and resource efficient society that eradicates poverty and ensures an improved wellbeing to its people. This research is aimed at exploring the possible scenarios for such transition across the region.