Published: February 1, 2017
Starting small key to sparking climate innovation in developing world
There is a contradiction between the trillions of dollars of capital looking for returns and a lack of investable climate projects. The key to resolving that may lie in focusing on the small projects such as a Ugandan solar bus.
If policymakers are going to have any hope of meeting the goal of limiting the rise in global temperatures to below 2° C, then they will have to ensure that emerging and developing countries in regions such as the Middle East, Africa and eastern Europe find a pathway to low carbon growth.
Demographics alone will make that task hard especially in regions such as Africa. That challenge is magnified by recent discoveries of oil, gas and coal deposits that could lead to the release of billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
Yet for politicians such as Elham Ibrahim, African vice chair at the World Energy Council (WEC) and also responsible for the environment and energy at the African Union Commission, the continent offers a massive opportunity.