Energy Security: Challenges and Opportunities for the African Union
Energy Security: Challenges and Opportunities for the African Union

Author(s): Kudzai Cathrine BINGISAI
Subject(s): Environmental Geography
Published by: Presa Universitara Clujeana
Keywords: energy security; renewable energy; sustainable development;
Summary/Abstract: Over the last decade, energy demand and accessibility havebeen significant concerns for AU energy security as a strategic approachto ensure the region’s sustainable development. This study sought toevaluate the challenges and opportunities for the AU in ensuring energysecurity. Energy security is essential to AU’s sustainable developmentamidst competing unfolding challenges in the global arena. The studyused the resource curse theory to analyse the region’s energy securityimplications. The accelerated concern of resource abundance versus energyscarcity alerted the researcher that AU energy security needs a criticalreview. Using qualitative methodology, the study used secondarydata sources and interviews to determine AU energy security. The empiricalresults show that transitioning to renewable energy sources couldenhance energy accessibility and promote sustainable development.Additionally, securing energy confirms the potential achievement ofthe United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), whichaddress climate change and infrastructure development. Despite theUnion’s efforts to strengthen socioeconomic channels through energystrategy, limited finance, infrastructural development and member statecommitment constrain progress towards achievement of sustainable development.In this case, achieving energy security can be challengingdespite having the resources. Nevertheless, the results presented thatthe potential for sustainable development and energy security lies in renewableenergy sources and trade relations in regional and internationalintegration.

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