Gas: The lesser of two evils or a viable option?
Gas, a controversial energy source, is widely regarded as a way for African countries to wean themselves off coal and reduce emissions. It’s known as a transition fuel but what does this mean? According to Cem Gürsan, a PhD candidate at the Nijmegen School of Management at Radboud University, in the Netherlands, a transition fuel is a low-carbon fuel (such as natural gas) which is substituted for a higher-content fossil fuel (coal and oil) to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Natural gas is considered as a transition fuel – a temporary solution to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions while more sustainable technologies mature. However, there is a major divide where many are opposed to gas but others are serious proponents of its use.
You might also be interested in
Lukas Schaugg: "The Energy Charter Treaty hinders climate action"
The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), established decades ago to facilitate energy investments in Europe and Central Asia, is now being challenged and accused of protecting investments in fossil fuels. Faced with the failure of the reform processes undertaken so far, several European countries, notably France and Germany, have decided to exit the ECT. However, the treaty is trying to expand to Africa as new oil and gas fields are discovered on the continent. In this interview, Lukas Schaugg, International Law Analyst at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), describes the challenges of the ECT in the face of the climate emergency.
Lukas Schaugg : « Le Traité sur la charte de l’énergie entrave l’action climatique » (in French)
Mis en place il y a plusieurs décennies pour faciliter les investissements dans l’énergie en Europe et en Asie centrale, le Traité sur la charte de l’énergie (TCE) est aujourd’hui contesté et accusé de protéger les investissements dans les énergies fossiles. Face à l’échec des processus de réforme engagés à ce jour, plusieurs pays européens, notamment la France et l’Allemagne, ont décidé de sortir du TCE. Cependant, le traité tente de s’étendre vers l’Afrique au moment où de nouveaux gisements de gaz et de pétrole sont découverts sur le continent. Dans cet entretien, Lukas Schaugg, Analyste en droit international à l’Institut international du développement durable (IISD), décrit les enjeux du TCE à l’heure de l’urgence climatique.
Gas in Africa: Still a 'transition fuel'?
The science is clear: to limit global warming to 1.5°C – beyond which some climate impacts will become irreversible and self-reinforcing – new oil and gas fields should no longer be being licensed for development, and we should be transitioning away from burning coal, oil and gas as quickly as possible across all sectors.
Renewable energy, not gas, is the answer to South Africa's long-term energy security
Amidst soaring gas and oil prices and global shifts in energy markets, many decision makers in the private and public sectors in South Africa seem intent on investing in gas. But if we really want long-term energy security – and a just transition to a low carbon economy – we must look to renewable energy.