Transplanting the EU Directives on Renewable Energy to the ECOWAS Supplementary Act: A Catalyst for Positive Change?
-
- I.H. Jumbo
Published 31 July 2024
Abstract
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been seen to substantially incorporate laws from the European Union (EU). This paper investigates how ideas from the EU Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Directives (RES Directives) were transplanted to the ECOWAS framework, the ECOWAS Supplementary Act/Policy 2013 on Renewable Energy Development (ESAREP) and whether it has effectively engineered the development of the ECOWAS renewable energy sector.
The ESAREP which modifies the EU model, emphasises how important regional intervention is in advancing renewable energy in participating Member States. This study utilizes a comparative qualitative research approach to analyse the background to the adoption of the ESAREP, the collaboration with European institutions, and the variations made to tailor the EU model to suit the ECOWAS context.
The study reveals that the EU model influenced the development of the ECOWAS renewable energy framework. Modifications were implemented to address specific challenges within the ECOWAS region, such as the incorporation of targets for off-grid renewable technologies to facilitate universal electrification in underserved rural populations, hence significant progress in the region's advancement of renewable energy since the ESAREP.