Pathways to a Just Energy Transition: Changing the Narratives in Zambia

Abstract

As the world is reeling from the effects of climate change, there have been repeated calls by the international community to consider actions that aims at reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Considering what science is telling us, a coal phase-out is believed to be one of the avenues that can be pursued to address climate change. However, such a move would amount to social disruptions in the form of job losses in the fossil fuel sector. Against this background, the Just Energy Transition (JET) concept has emerged as a counter to the anticipated socio-economic effects of the transitioning process. The concept is centred on the need to minimise the social and economic disruptions that the process of shifting energy systems might have on the workers, communities and other stakeholders.

Nevertheless, the challenge that has often been faced by policy-makers in the Global South is how to apply the concept in a manner that is holistic, and one that resonates with their country's local needs and development goals. Previously, emphasis has mostly been on coal mine-workers. Such approach as viewed from a Global South JET perspective, tends to ignore other socio-economic challenges that would threaten the very existence of such a transition. Many studies have observed other characteristics of a JET that should be of concern to policy-makers: JET varies globally, there is no-one-size-fits-all and the concept is ever evolving since its inception.

With Zambia as a case study, this thesis seeks to understand the country's approach to Just Energy Transition, considering its status as a least developed country. By examining examples from countries which are pioneering the concept, such as Canada, Germany, India and South Africa through a literature review, this study was informed by the following question: How can a Just Energy Transition be achieved in Zambia given the competing interests of meeting the Paris Agreement goals and the country's energy needs? To answer this question, this thesis highlights the complex interplay between climate and energy policies, and socio-economic factors. Explored in this study are interconnected aspects relating to Zambia's national circumstances: the energy system, its development context and the climate change context as well as the workforce dynamics.

This thesis has highlighted that the JET concept is viewed differently across the Global North and South, both from an academic and policy perspective. Such divisions are as a result of varying degree of development and past energy consumption patterns. The discussion shows that, although some of the presented issues are experienced in the Global North, these are seemingly problematic in the Global South. This reinforces a culture of dependency on the Global South for finance, technology and knowledge production. As a result of such dependencies, Global South countries run the risk of pursuing a JET that is disconnected from the local context. To avoid a JET narrative that embrace Western hegemony, this thesis argues that Global South countries that are beneficiaries of JET financing, should develop a JET that is sensitive to the local context. Such a transition should be bottom-up and driven by the local communities and other relevant groups.

This thesis further demonstrated that achieving a sustainable and just energy transition can be difficult given Zambia's lack of financial resources to implement its NDC. Despite the challenges tied to the implementation of JET policies, there are opportunities that remain untapped that Zambia should consider into the future. As an LDC, Zambia has a strong economic focus that might hinder its commitments towards climate targets. Zambia has introduced several socio-economic development programs with the intend of meeting the needs of its growing population. These among other reasons, have locked Zambia into considering the adoption of a diverse range of energy sources including fossil fuels. Show more