ABSTRACT
Accelerating sustainable energy transitions in developing countries needs to be institutionalized as a key global agenda. The transitions require tectonic shifts in the mobilization of necessary resources, both the technological hardware and the non-technical solutions. Most of the technologies required in the transitions are market ready – and will be, in the short term, more accessible and affordable for developing countries. The falling cost, the economies of scale, public preference over sustainable solutions, the associated benefits to health, education, the economy, and inclusiveness are among the many reasons why the transitions are necessary. Most importantly, however, the transitions are required to achieve universal energy access and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions – both of which are key aspects of international norms on sustainable development and climate change action. Accelerating the transitions towards sustainable energy-powered societies in developing countries requires a focus on three key solutions: universal energy access, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. The underlying objective, of course, remains consistent with both the development and the climate ambitions: new renewable energy generation to compensate for the retirement of polluting energy systems without harming the development objectives of those in the global south, and doing this rapidly. Navigating this process is not an easy task. It requires simultaneous turns in the deployment of the transition hardware with key changes in policy, financing, and institutional arrangements. In many developing countries, such turns necessitate the strongest political will – and in the absence of one, the strongest means of activism and social action.
