Governing Inclusive Green Growth in Africa

Completed

Not Energy Related
Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Environmental, social and economic impacts)

Basic and strategic applied research

SOCIAL SCIENCES (Economics and Econometrics)
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Politics and International Studies)
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Development Studies)
AREA STUDIES (Middle Eastern and African Studies)

Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Policy and regulation)

Professor C Okereke
Geography and Environmental Sciences
University of Reading

Standard

ESRC

02 January 2017

01 July 2018

18 months

£145,922

South East

Global Challenges Research Fund

Professor C Okereke, Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Reading

Professor K Amaeshi, Business Schoo, University of Edinburgh
Dr S Belliethathan, UNLISTED, Horn of Africa Reg Environ Cent &Network
Ms M Chakrabarty, UNLISTED, Observer Research Foundation
Dr A Cooper, Science, Tech, Eng and Public Policy, University College London
Dr E Fisher, Sch of Agriculture Policy and Dev, University of Reading
Dr H Fonbeyin, Faculty of Tech, Design and Environment, Oxford Brookes University
Dr H Ichoku, Economics, University of Nigeria Nsukka
Dr V Mathur, UNLISTED, Observer Research Foundation
Dr C Mukonza, Economics, University of South Africa
Dr Y Mulugetta, Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey
Dr H H Osiolo, School of Economics, University of Nairobi, Kenya

The primary objective of the project is to build a genuine interdisciplinary and international collaborative network that can develop a better understanding of green economic growth in Africa, defined as one that 'achieves improved human well-being and social equity, while also significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities, (and) one which is low-carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive' (UNEP 2011). More specifically, the network aims:(i) To develop a substantive and innovative research agenda on the governance of green growth in Africa broadly and the dynamics of equity, justice, and inclusiveness in the context of green growth initiatives in particular. Foci will include: (i) national green growth strategies; (ii) green foreign investment and trade; (iii) the greening of Official Development Assistance (ODA) through for example 'climate proofing' conditionality; (iv) green corporate strategies by Multinational Companies (MNCs); (v) green entrepreneurship and innovation; and (vi) green national legislation and budgeting. The key sectors will comprise energy, agriculture, forestry, industry, and cities. Although the network will explore significant developments in Africa, the emphasis will be on three countries, namely, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria. These countries have different political economy situations, resource endowment, and levels of greening activity.(ii) To develop a solid interdisciplinary relationship among UK and international academics, particularly African academics, with a view to better understanding the complex challenges and opportunities related to addressing poverty and inequality in Africa through the lens of the green economy. Furthermore, it is hoped that the Network activities will result in medium to long term commitment to work together collaboratively to tackle some of the identified challenges through cutting-edge research and impact activities.(iii) To develop significant and relevant collaboration between UK and international academics on the one hand and non-academic stakeholders on the other hand, in identifying and responding to the challenges and opportunities for accelerated sustainable economic development and poverty alleviation in Africa through inclusive green growth. Our network comprises a good mix of established and early career researchers, policy makers, and practitioners, think tanks, civil society organisations and the private sector carefully selected to maximise the prospects of developing new knowledge in the green economy in Africa and for research uptake.(iv) To build and develop the capacity of early-career researchers, policy makers and the private sector in Africa with regards to research, policy design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of green growth initiatives. Our approach will emphasise three levels of capacity building, namely, human resource development, organisational development, and institutional development (Bond et al.,2001; Crisp et al., 2000).(v) To explore valuable lessons that African countries can learn from India's development experience in the area of the green economy. This is bearing in mind that the heterogeneity of development contexts in which countries operates means there can't be a single approach to green growth that is universally applicable. Our network comprises two researchers from the prestigious Observer Research Foundation India (ORF), which have undertaken an extensive number of high-impact research and activities on the green economy, sustainable development and poverty eradication in India. It is hoped that the Network will lay the foundation for enhanced South-South cooperation through engagement between African and Indian researchers and policy makers.Our research touches on but truly exceeds the confines of two thematic areas in the Call specification, namely (i) innovation and inclusive growth; and (iii) dynamics of inequalities.

The green economy has significant potential for delivering inclusive economic development in Africa; however the dynamics of this potentially paradigm-shifting phenomenon are poorly understood (Borel-Saladin & Turok 2013, Mudombi 2013, Death 2014, ECA 2016). Comprising researchers from multiple disciplines, (from UK, Africa, and India), African think tanks, civil society organisations and government departments, the proposed Network aims to lay the foundation for a robust assessment and understanding of the dynamics of green growth governance in Africa and the implications for sustainable economic transformation in the continent. Particular attention will be paid to understanding key challenges for leveraging green growth as a means to tackle inequality and poverty plus interventions that can be honed to transcend existing barriers to deliver results at scale and enhance sustainability.Prompted by national circumstances and their international development partners, many African countries have started to embrace the concept of green growth. Countries such as Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa have sketched ambitious plans to decouple economic growth from environmental pressures and 'leapfrog' to green, sustainable economies. For example, Ethiopia's ambitious, multi-sectoral Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) to bring the country to a middle-income status within 10 years, runs alongside the Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy. The CRGE's principal aim is to achieve a high rate of economic growth without increasing the country's GHG emissions. However, till date, very little study has examined green growth in Africa with the result that significant questions need to be asked. For example: (i) what are the current greening activities taking place in Africa? (ii) in what ways do putative green economy activities represent a significant departure from 'business as usual'?; (iii) are green growth activities displacing, being mainstreamed or co-existing with 'brown' development?; (iv) what is the impact of national green growth strategies on inequality and poverty in Africa?; (v) what are the key motivations of African leaders and governments seeking to be front-runners in this area; and what are the reasons for reluctance among the slow or non-movers?; (vi) what are the environmental, technology, innovation, and ethical implications of greening? (vii) what is the local and international political economy of greening in Africa and who are the key actors?; (viii) what are the capacity needs required to achieve scale?; (vii) what are the successes, challenges, synergies and trade-offs associated with greening in Africa, how do these differ across countries, and what lessons can Africa learn from other developing countries? Through a series of collaborative activities including: (i) workshops, (ii) mapping of existing green growth initiatives in Africa, (iii) initial political economy and socio-technical analysis; and (iv) an initial technology and capacity gap assessment, the network will lay a foundation for future research work in understanding the dynamics, prospects and limits of the green economy in Africa. Capacity will be built through collaborative planning, mentoring, and peer networks. Partnership with a leading research and policy think tank in India will promote South-South cooperation. Although our work will address issues on a continent-wide basis, our primary focus will be the following three countries: (i) Ethiopia, which is pursuing an ambitious growth agenda and greening strategy, simultaneously; (ii) Kenya, which has also made notable attempts to embrace the concept of greening development and is currently the first and only African country that has signed a national legislation on climate change; and (iii) Nigeria, the most populous and biggest economy in Africa, which has made some efforts at greening but is generally considered a laggard in this area (Okonkwo & Uwazie 2016)

03/01/18