Natural Gas in Africa

The report contends that natural gas expansion in Africa contradicts the Paris Agreement and poses significant economic and environmental risks. It argues that renewable energy is more cost-effective and creates more sustainable employment than the fossil fuel industry. Through case studies of Egypt, Nigeria, and Senegal, the document demonstrates that shifting from gas-based power to high-renewable scenarios would increase job creation and, in the case of Egypt, significantly reduce premature deaths from air pollution. It concludes that developed nations must stop financing fossil fuels and increase climate finance to support Africa's transition to zero-emissions energy systems.

• To align with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal, there should be no new investments in natural gas exploration and production, and unabated gas-fired power must be phased out globally by 2050, and in some countries by 2040.
• Relying on natural gas for development is risky because current global infrastructure already meets required volumes, making new additions potential stranded assets; furthermore, African fossil fuel exporters often experience slower economic growth than other countries on the continent.
• Renewable energy is more labor-intensive than the oil and gas industry, which is technology-intensive and provides few high-skilled jobs and short-term construction roles.
• In Egypt, a 'high renewable energy scenario' (82% renewables by 2035) could create 1.8 million additional job years compared to the government's 2035 Energy Strategy and avoid over 5,300 premature deaths from air pollution within two decades.
• Nigeria's 'Decade of Gas' strategy risks locking the country into carbon-intensive infrastructure; a 1.5°C compatible scenario would create over 3,400 job years per MWh per year, compared to approximately 1,300 annual job years per MWh under the current gas-based strategy.
• Senegal's 'Gas-to-Power Strategy' aims to reduce oil import dependence but risks stranded assets; a 1.5°C compatible pathway focusing on renewables would create on average 6,700 job years per MWh annually, versus 1,500 under current policies from 2021 to 2030.
• Africa holds nearly 9% of global natural gas reserves and produced about 6% of global natural gas in 2019, with Algeria, Egypt, and Nigeria accounting for roughly 85% of the continent's production.

APA

Moisio, M., Fekete, H., Skribbe, R., Fearnehough, H., Marquardt, M., Reynolds, C., & Ramalope, D. (2022). Natural Gas in Africa. NewClimate Institute. https://climateactiontracker.org/documents/1048/CAT_2022-05_Report_NaturalGasinAfrica.pdf

Chicago

Moisio, Mia, Hanna Fekete, Reena Skribbe, Harry Fearnehough, Mats Marquardt, Carley Reynolds, and Deborah Ramalope. Natural Gas in Africa. NewClimate Institute, 2022. https://climateactiontracker.org/documents/1048/CAT_2022-05_Report_NaturalGasinAfrica.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Moisio |first1=Mia |last2=Fekete |first2=Hanna |last3=Skribbe |first3=Reena |last4=Fearnehough |first4=Harry |last5=Marquardt |first5=Mats |last6=Reynolds |first6=Carley |last7=Ramalope |first7=Deborah |title=Natural Gas in Africa |publisher=NewClimate Institute |date=May 2022 |url=https://climateactiontracker.org/documents/1048/CAT_2022-05_Report_NaturalGasinAfrica.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{moisio2022natural, author = {Moisio, Mia and Fekete, Hanna and Skribbe, Reena and Fearnehough, Harry and Marquardt, Mats and Reynolds, Carley and Ramalope, Deborah}, title = {{Natural Gas in Africa}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://climateactiontracker.org/documents/1048/CAT_2022-05_Report_NaturalGasinAfrica.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }