Perspectives on the Regimes of Extraction and the Green Energy Transition

Perspectives on the regimes of the extractive industry and the transition to renewable energy cannot be considered in isolation from economic growth, geopolitics, social and cultural background of the different regions and sub-regions inclusive of which the aspects of energy deficit, energy security, sustainability and affordability are paramount. Based on the critical role played by energy minerals in driving the economic growth of the global south, the transition for winding down these extractions in line with global de-carbonization must address the concerns of institutional poverty, hunger, disease and perennial small- and large-scale conflicts (civil wars) which are consequences of underdevelopment. The global south with a very large population of vulnerable communities transcending several regions in Africa, Latin America, and Asia have documented and undocumented public health crises, political unrest resulting from environmental degradation, water scarcity, pollution, climate change, farmland losses consequent to the impact of mining activities. Operations of the large-scale mining companies and artisanal small-scale miners have impacted the scenarios in the African region where economic growth is heavily dependent on the extractive industry. While the foreign large-scale companies, the major stakeholders are presently adopting divestment policies with portfolios emphasizing renewable energy integration, challenges of divestments constitute a notable “trilemma” on the aspects of security, affordability and sustainability of energy in the source regions. Evidence based case studies in the Africa mining sector, indicate that the critical minerals are prone to the challenges of discovery of the high demanding commodities based on the diminishing levels of exposed metal deposits which calls for the need to look for deeper and larger deposits with better and more costly technologies for exploration, development and production. The current stage of development of most nations in the global south in the context of the current transition and resource extraction should strongly consider the energy deficit, energy security, energy dependence, geopolitics and economic growth of the nations to foster social equity, poverty alleviation and human development. Adequate social, economic and political governance to accommodate trade and investment plurality rather than imposing universality is key to address the inequality, for justice, democracy and ecological sustainability. The current position of extractivism in three selected African countries; Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Federal Republic of Nigeria are reviewed in the light of commodity supply and the state of preparedness for the transition.