Climate-Resilient Development: Managing energy transition in a low income context

Edel-Quinn Agbaegbu

There is a global consensus that Science, Technology and Innovation can facilitate inclusive growth, sustainable development and militate against Climate change. Climate change which refers to a change in average weather conditions is caused by factors such as biotic processes and variations in solar radiation received by Earth. It has negative consequences with drastic impact on human life and the biodiversity. Today, certain human activities have been identified as primary causes of the ongoing climate change, also referred to as global warming.

Global warming is very significant in placing unprecedented pressure on human and the ecosystem, thereby generating the desire to build resilience into innovation and technology for improved ecological outcomes. Efforts have been made to integrate climate considerations directly into developmental activities through climate-resilient development; a framework to address climate change. Climate resilience is an innovative technology with the capacity for a socio-ecological system to maintain its function in the face of external stress imposed on it by climate change. It has improved sustainability, increased tolerance, and enhanced adaptability for lives to become resilient to changes.

Innovative technologies are offering low income countries the opportunity to avoid the high carbon development pathways and develop cleaner and cheaper systems, but these countries need to develop and manage the capacities required to implement the systems at scale. There is urgent need therefore, to carry out a research study on ‘’Climate-Resilient Development: managing energy transition in a low income context’’.

There is also the need to explore the current challenges in implementing innovations and biotechnologies in low income countries like Africa and develop pathways to manage its land and renewable energy transition to low-carbon system for an improved biodiversity. Although biodiversity is not widely understood and as a result it’s economic, social and environmental importance is poorly recognized, its values should be interpreted to include environmental, cultural, economic and intrinsic values.

Addressing the underlying drivers of biodiversity loss will ultimately require behavioural change by individuals, organizations and governments. Awareness and appreciation of the diverse values of biodiversity, underscore the willingness of individuals to make the necessary changes and actions and to create the needed environment for governments to facilitate the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity. Although ecological design is fundamental, but it remains unnecessary without governance and management. The vision therefore should be to generate a template using results obtained from research studies and surveys to create a clean energy future for 2030. This is to keep global warming in check using global standard for driving and recognising conservation success. This is a function of commitment and we need all elements; impact, effectiveness and quantity in this new target to promote the vision of living in harmony with nature.