Fossil fuels in Africa in a carbon constrained future

Abstract

Africa has substantial reserves of fossil fuel resources.These include about 9.5% of the total global proven reserves of crude oil, 8% of natural gas reserves, and 4% of coal reserves. Much of the fossil fuel in Africa is either exported or has not yet been developed for use within Africa. The heavy reliance on fossil fuels to generate energy has also contributed to a number of environmental and social problems at the local, regional, and global levels. These include depletion of non-renewable resources, depletion of ozone, ocean acidification, and global warming. The contribution of energy generation to global warming is particularly worrisome due to the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases during the combustion of fossil fuels.