Just transition was another key topic in Sharm El Sheikh. Ensuring that no one is left behind as carbon-heavy jobs may disappear and entire sectors may be abandoned or diminished[1] is critical to make transition socially acceptable.
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Potential of Solar in Just Transition
This is relevant especially for North Africa which is heavily dependent on the fossil industry. At the same time, Africa is a continent with the highest photovoltaic power potential.[2] You can compare the intensity of sunlight across the world with the Global Solar Atlas which was launched by World Bank earlier this year.[3]
While Asia is dominating the global solar boom,[4] the penetration of the solar energy sector in Africa is still rather slow. This is mainly due to a poor energy infrastructure which generates up to 30% energy losses in the grid.[5]
Green investors, however, have started to realize the immense potential of Africa. For instance,
Norway´s energy giant Scatec previously invested in Egypt's massive Benban solar park, which is one of the largest in the world with a capacity of 1.8GW. At COP27, it announced another investment, planning to build a major green hydrogen plant with the capacity to produce 100MW. [6]
