Assessing energy justice in renewable energy scenarios for Sub-Sahara Africa

Abstract

Transition to RE raises certain opportunities but also threats for the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where enormous renewable energy potential coexists with energy poverty. The current thesis is intended to address the problem of the lack of attention paid to energy justice dimensions in energy systems research through systematic assessment of how different renewable energy scenarios for SSA integrate aspects related to energy justice. Based on the results of the assessment of scenario studies carried out using modelling paradigms, the thesis proposes an analytical framework which takes into account the principles of distributive, procedural, recognition, cosmopolitan and restorative justice as well as environmental and materials-related dimensions and societal dimension problems. The results show that most of the existing scenarios focus on the minimisation of costs and feasibility while ignoring justice aspects such as equality in energy access, involvement of local communities, gender inclusivity, issues related to land use, protection of children and forests. One of the novel contributions of the thesis consists in analysing the link between biomass and deforestation because existing scenarios fail to take proper care of the transition away from traditional biomass and the deforestation problems associated with bioenergy production.