Sustainable Energy Transition in Russia and Ghana Within a Multi-Level Perspective
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Changing Societies & Personalities
Abstract
This paper is a case study based on a critical review of existing
literature and primary data through interviews to investigate
energy transition framing and manifestation in the Global South. It
provides critical insights into sustainable energy transition in Ghana
and Russia within a multi-level perspective (MLP). We argue that
whereas Ghana’s energy transition concepts and policies are
mirrored by landscape, regime, and niche; practical transitioning
has been slow due to inadequate resources and incentives, limited
historical culpability in global greenhouse gas, and the country being
locked-in to existing hydrocarbon socio-technical systems. The MLP
approach is useful in describing energy technologies, markets, and
consumption practices. But in Russia, social policy at distinct levels
is united by centralised energy, law and technical systems, as well as
institutional rules and differences based on costs in economic regions.
This paper contributes to the energy transition discourse within
the Global South, using Russia and Ghana as cases to highlight how
transition policies and practices differ from country to country, driven
by economic, political, social, cultural, and historical elements with
global frameworks serving as guides. Rigid application of landscape,
regime, and niche concepts is challenged in describing and analysing
the context-specific nuances in sustainable energy transition policy
across spaces. There is a fundamental challenge in mechanical
fusing a one-fits-all approach to sustainable energy transitioning in
developing countries and societies due to differences in historical
contributions to climatic issues and inequality of access to resources
and technologies. Energy transition processes and practices should
be compatible with social justice.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
renewable energy, multi-level perspective, sustainable energy transitions