Another Begging Bowl Strategy for Africa? The Politics of Clean Energy Development in African - Industrialized World Relations

Africa receives financial support from erstwhile colonial governments and the developed world. With the passage of time, the colonial compensation claims have become trite. African leaders seem to have found a new reason for begging in the calls by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other groups and countries concerned with climate change to develop clean energy. While the developed world has not shown any commitment to give aids to Africa, they also seem to have liked the idea, given that they are also not ready to have drastic cuts on their high carbon emissions. This paper questions whether the politics of clean energy is being merged with the colonial claims case to perpetuate Africa’s begging to the industrialized world. Using a methodological desktop review, the paper also discusses how the industrialized world has responded to Africa’s actions, especially claims for clean energy development, as well as adaptation and mitigation financing.