Green curses and violent conflicts: the security implications of renewable energy sector development (PRIO) Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
This project examines the conditions under which increased investment in renewable energy could generate a new set of resource and energy related violent conflicts in Africa – a so called “green curse” – and how to prevent and resolve these conflicts.
Africa – the continent with the largest share of the world’s poor – desperately needs an environmentally-friendly energy revolution to lift its people out of poverty and mitigate the effects of climate change.
The project brings together an interdisciplinary international team of researchers to improve theory and empirical evidence about the pathways and mechanisms underlying the onset and dynamics of green energy conflicts, and ultimately how to mitigate and prevent violent conflict associated with renewable energy through robust prevention mechanisms.
It seeks to contribute to scientific knowledge and policy action on this topic by:
(1) providing a comprehensive mapping of data on violent conflicts and renewable energy projects, sectors, and mineral value chains in Africa.
(2) Provide a systematic understanding of the pathways and mechanisms by which green energy sectors and their value chains may trigger or resolve conflicts.
(3) Map and evaluate existing and proposed cooperative governance arrangements for green energy sectors and for the mineral value chains.
Team;
- Siri Aas Rustad, PRIO Senior Researcher
- Kendra Dupuy, PRIO Senior Researcher
- John Andrew McNeish, Professor Norwegian University of Life Sciences
- Stacy VanDeveer, Professor, University of Massachusetts
- Carl Bruch, Environmental Law Institute (ELI)
- Francis Mwesigye, Senior Research Fellow, EPRC