Politics of Energy Transitions in South Sudan: Who is Fooling Who?

Abstract

One of the critical themes in oil and gas industry is energy transition from fossil fuel to renewables. While energy transition is importance for any society progress, it has been politicized. The politics is about the genesis and speed of transitions. While African countries wanted to transit to renewables at their phases given that they don’t emit substantive emissions, Western countries wanted every country to transit fully to renewables by 2050. Yet, the Western countries are still carrying out exploration for new oilfields in the United Kingdom and Norway. The paper discuses the concept of energy transition, impacts of energy transition on extractive industries development in Africa. The paper in detail discusses economic impacts, social impacts as well as regulatory framework impacts. It examines South Sudan energy transition by looking at the obstacles as well as solutions to transition to renewables. While the study methodology embraces qualitative research design as well as case study of South Sudan, energy transition has remained as a complex matter where the Western world is fooling the developing world. Although energy transition is imperative, the study concludes that it must be just, progressive and free from coercion. Future research is hereby recommended to the stakeholders in oil and gas industry and particularly, those that have been associated with energy transition to adopt energy mix.