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Debating Critical Issues of Green Growth and Energy in Africa: Thinking beyond Our Lifetimes

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Managing Africa’s Natural Resources

Part of the book series: International Political Economy Series ((IPES))

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Abstract

From the 1960s through the 1990s, vested interests from major polluting nations and industries kept environmental movements at bay and undermined their influence in development thinking. In recent years, ecologists, some development economists, and environmental economists challenged mainstream thinking and introduced the concept of “environmentally sustainable economic growth,” which is essentially “green growth” that promotes economic development through clean energy (Ekins 2000; Hahnel 2011). This paradigm shift in designing and implementing economic policies recognizes the place environment holds in the process of economic development and in writings by influential development thinkers (Collier 2010; World Bank 2010; Weigand 2011). Consequently, there is a focus on the quantitative as well as qualitative dimensions of development. There is intensified discussion on green economy among academics and policy-makers in summits and conferences, such as the December 2011 summit in Durban, the January 2012 Green Growth Knowledge Platform inaugural conference in Mexico City, and the May 2012 Global Green Growth Summit in Seoul.

I am grateful to the insightful discussions I had with Adam Elhiraika, Marianna Maculan, and George Kararach. All errors and omissions are mine.

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Authors
  1. Abbi M. Kedir
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), Zimbabwe

    Kobena T. Hanson (Head of Knowledge and Learning) & Cristina D’Alessandro (Knowledge Management Expert) (Head of Knowledge and Learning) &  (Knowledge Management Expert)

  2. Iowa State University, USA

    Francis Owusu (Professor) (Professor)

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© 2014 Abbi M. Kedir

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Kedir, A.M. (2014). Debating Critical Issues of Green Growth and Energy in Africa: Thinking beyond Our Lifetimes. In: Hanson, K.T., D’Alessandro, C., Owusu, F. (eds) Managing Africa’s Natural Resources. International Political Economy Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137365613_9

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