McCauley Darren, Grant Rebecca, Mwathunga Evance
Management of International Social Challenges, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Department of Public Administration and Sociology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Clim Change. 2022;170(3-4):28. doi: 10.1007/s10584-022-03314-1. Epub 2022 Feb 12.
Addressing energy provision and access in Sub-Saharan Africa is a key global challenge. Drawing on interviews with key stakeholders, this paper applies an energy justice framework in overviewing energy realities and policies in Malawi, where electricity access remains among the lowest in Sub-Saharan Africa. The use of woodfuel remains high for meeting cooking, heating, and lighting needs leading to indoor air pollution, with serious health consequences, and widespread deforestation. Responses to these dual challenges, a lack of electricity access and ongoing woodfuel use, must be rooted in notions of equity, fairness, and justice. Application of energy justice theorising provides insights into how policy stakeholders are responding to complex and interconnected issues of energy generation and access in low-income settings. Overall, a just response to these energy challenges is possible, but only if it is built on local inclusive governance with fairer and effective systems of investment.
解决撒哈拉以南非洲地区的能源供应和获取问题是一项关键的全球挑战。基于对主要利益相关者的访谈，本文运用能源正义框架概述了马拉维的能源现状和政策，该国的电力获取率在撒哈拉以南非洲地区仍处于最低水平。用于烹饪、取暖和照明的木柴燃料使用率仍然很高，这导致了室内空气污染，造成严重的健康后果，并引发了大面积的森林砍伐。应对电力供应不足和木柴燃料持续使用这两大挑战，必须基于公平、公正和正义的理念。运用能源正义理论有助于深入了解政策利益相关者如何应对低收入环境中能源生产和获取方面复杂且相互关联的问题。总体而言，对这些能源挑战做出公正回应是可能的，但前提是要建立在地方包容性治理以及更公平有效的投资体系之上。
