GEOSTRATEGIC RISKS IN THE GREEN ENERGY TRANSITION (THE CASE OF AFRICA)

The article analyzes the resource potential of Africa in terms of ensuring the transition of the world economy to green energy and identifies the geostrategic risks associated with this transition. The authors conclude that African countries today have significant reserves of metals necessary for this green energy transition. They are world leaders in reserves and production of bauxite, cobalt, chromium, platinoids and tantalum. Theу also possess copper, lithium, zinc and nickel ores in significant quantities. All other metals crucial for green energy technologies are also present on the continent. Namibia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been main suppliers of germanium to the world market for a long time. Significant reserves of rare earth metals (yttrium) are in Nigeria, Morocco and Egypt, cadmium – in Namibia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, gallium – in Guinea. In theory transition to green technologies may improve the situation of those African countries that possess high-tech materials through a sharp increase in demand and prices for these goods. In reality they may get under the most severe pressure from Western transnational corporations. These corporations will be using the entire arsenal of colonial tools to create favorable conditions to acquire these materials at the lowest cost.  The authors think, if the energy transition and climate strategies proposed by the West are implemented, this burden to the greatest extent will be borne by those countries that historically participated least in the depletion of traditional energy sources and environmental pollution – the poorest countries of the world, mostly African countries. The scheme being pushed by the West will forever block the path to breakthrough economic development for African countries. They will be conserved technologically. They are trying to prepare the same fate for Russia