Event Title
Greening the AU Economy- Adapting to Climate Change Along a Low Carbon Development Pathway
Location
Room 107
Start Date
4-7-2012 10:15 AM
End Date
4-7-2012 12:00 PM
Description
According to the United Nations Human Development Report of 2007 climate change is the defining human development challenge of the 21st Century. One of the major global contributors towards climate change is green house gas (GHG) emissions resulting from energy use connected with the combustion of fossil fuels. On account of its low per capita energy consumption, Africa contributes relatively little towards over-all energy related GHG emissions. Notwithstanding, the global effects of climate change will impact negatively on the developmental path of the African continent in areas such as agriculture; access to fresh water; biodiversity; food security and health thereby hampering the achievement of the MDGs and the promotion of sustainable development.
It becomes apparent that in order for energy as role player in Africa’s development process to be considered as contributing towards promoting sustainable development, it must show resilience to the challenge of climate change – in other words climate-friendly energy. A proposed method of ensuring climate-friendly approaches to energy relates to the international environmental law concept of a green economy with a low carbon development pathway. This entails that energy developments must be compatible with the natural environment, environmentally friendly, ecological as well as socially just all the while showing minimised emissions of GHGs. The process of greening the African economy with regards to energy developments will depend largely upon formulating and implementing well informed regional policy based upon the principles underlying the establishment of a green economy. The question subsequently arises: how should the principles for a green economy be applied to an AU energy policy based on a low carbon development pathway in order to effect the promotion of sustainable development?
To this end, this paper will focus on the relevant international environmental law principles as ground norms for the formulation of effective regional development policies. Furthermore, an analysis of the 15 principles for green economy (prepared for the Rio+20 Conference) against existing AU energy development initiatives (Climate for African Development) will be undertaken. The submission will conclude with reflections on the current status of AU energy development initiatives as well as recommendations on the future application of green economy principles in formulating principled based regional energy policy geared towards an AU green economy with low carbon pathway development.
Presentation
Included in
Greening the AU Economy- Adapting to Climate Change Along a Low Carbon Development Pathway
Room 107
According to the United Nations Human Development Report of 2007 climate change is the defining human development challenge of the 21st Century. One of the major global contributors towards climate change is green house gas (GHG) emissions resulting from energy use connected with the combustion of fossil fuels. On account of its low per capita energy consumption, Africa contributes relatively little towards over-all energy related GHG emissions. Notwithstanding, the global effects of climate change will impact negatively on the developmental path of the African continent in areas such as agriculture; access to fresh water; biodiversity; food security and health thereby hampering the achievement of the MDGs and the promotion of sustainable development.
It becomes apparent that in order for energy as role player in Africa’s development process to be considered as contributing towards promoting sustainable development, it must show resilience to the challenge of climate change – in other words climate-friendly energy. A proposed method of ensuring climate-friendly approaches to energy relates to the international environmental law concept of a green economy with a low carbon development pathway. This entails that energy developments must be compatible with the natural environment, environmentally friendly, ecological as well as socially just all the while showing minimised emissions of GHGs. The process of greening the African economy with regards to energy developments will depend largely upon formulating and implementing well informed regional policy based upon the principles underlying the establishment of a green economy. The question subsequently arises: how should the principles for a green economy be applied to an AU energy policy based on a low carbon development pathway in order to effect the promotion of sustainable development?
To this end, this paper will focus on the relevant international environmental law principles as ground norms for the formulation of effective regional development policies. Furthermore, an analysis of the 15 principles for green economy (prepared for the Rio+20 Conference) against existing AU energy development initiatives (Climate for African Development) will be undertaken. The submission will conclude with reflections on the current status of AU energy development initiatives as well as recommendations on the future application of green economy principles in formulating principled based regional energy policy geared towards an AU green economy with low carbon pathway development.