Unep ranks Africa lowest in clean energy

Less than one per cent of all patent applications relate to Clean Energy Technologies coming from Africa.. PHOTO | FILE 

In Summary

• According to a May 2013 United nations Environment Programme (Unep) study, the continent has the least level of technological development.
• Less than one per cent of all patent applications relate to Clean Energy Technologies coming from Africa.
• Kenya and Burundi are the only East African countries that feature in the list with 1.2 per cent and 0.9 per cent respectively.

By FLAVIA LANYERO
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One would expect the Africa to be at the forefront of producing energy efficient and clean energy technologies but the continent still lags behind.

According to a May 2013 United nations Environment Programme (Unep) study, the continent has the least level of technological development.

Less than one per cent of all patent applications relate to Clean Energy Technologies coming from Africa.

South Africa tops the list of Africa’s leading inventor countries with 82.4 per cent of the applications filed in Africa.

KENYA & BURUNDI

The report, Patents and clean energy technologies in Africa, indicates that Egypt is second with 2.8 per cent.

Kenya and Burundi are the only East African countries that feature in the list with 1.2 per cent and 0.9 per cent respectively.

Many solar energy attempts to put up clean energy like solar panels in hospitals and schools were not fruitful. Many were also found not to be working.

This means that most people use dirty technology that emit Carbon and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, proven to aggravate future impacts of climate change on the continent.

This article first appeared in the Daily Monitor.