GTFS: Global Trends and Future Scenarios Index

Energy Transition Strategies: Ethiopia’s Low-Carbon Development Pathway Innovation Technology

Energy Transition Strategies: Ethiopia's Low-Carbon Development Pathway Innovation Technology

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Abstract:

Ethiopia is at the forefront of a new development paradigm. Where environmental goals were once perceived to impose limitations on industrialization and catch-up growth, Ethiopia is proactively challenging this received wisdom with innovative policy solutions and international collaboration. Since 2000, the country’s economy has expanded by a factor of five, yet the country’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are trivial. Ethiopia intends to grow without any increase in its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions between 2010 and 2030. While there are few countries that rely so little on fossil fuels as Ethiopia, it faces common challenges to low-carbon development, including rapid urbanization and an economic imperative to industrialize. This report assesses the extent to which these challenges could co-exist with a decarbonization agenda by examining policy success stories and identifying the political economy forces driving change.