Page 100 - University of Pretoria RESEARCH REVIEW 2018

Energy technologies at the centre of economic development
Roula Inglesi-Lotz, Department of Economics
The debates on climate change and its connection to
the choice of energy generation mix and optimal energy consumption – and the relationship between emissions, energy and economic growth – have captivated the attention of the world. While the energy-growth nexus has been studied extensively, there still seems to be little consensus as to what would constitute an optimal nexus.
political and financial conditions do not allow for massive investments, even though such decisions have in recent times become increasingly important issues on the political agendas of African countries. Her research has also confirmed the expected negative impact of fossil fuels on environmental degradation. But, she writes, the African region is not yet ready to abandon fossil fuels completely, due to the unexploited reserves that might keep the cost of coal at affordable levels. The critical question then becomes for how long the cost of coal-generated electricity can remain competitive, compared to the cost of renewable energies.
From a demand-side perspective, energy efficiency technologies are considered a significant instrument
in reducing the total energy requirements of economies, and hence, lead towards a reduction in emission. In a paper published in Energy in 2018, she considers South Africa’s CO2 emissions within the context of BRICS countries. Carbon and energy intensity are found to
be the determinants that have the potential to mitigate CO2 emissions
– they can both be improved by technological advancements and R&D investments.
Roula Inglesi-Lotz, Associate Professor in the Department
of Economics, conducts research towards understanding the dynamics and mechanism of this relationship. In 2018, she contributed a chapter to the book, The Economics and Econometrics of the Energy-Growth Nexus (Academic Press), discussing the role of other factors, such as
trade and financial development, in influencing the energy-growth nexus. She also co-authored eight papers published in international journals, while being the founding President of the South African Association for Energy Economics (SAAEE).
For many years, the African continent was not the focus of energy research: firstly, the lack of data availability did not allow for advanced quantitative techniques to be used; and secondly, the continent’s historically low emissions gave priority to other critical issues on the development agenda. In recent years, this reality has changed, and that is where Professor Inglesi- Lotz aims at contributing.
In a co-authored paper published in Renewable Energy in 2018, the results show that income increases will promote the adoption of renewable energies. However, current volatile and uncertain socio-economic,
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Roula Inglesi-Lotz is a member of the South African Young Academy of Science, and of the Global Young Academy and the co-leader of the Academy’s Women in Science workgroup. She was selected as a fellow of the Africa Science Leadership Programme (ASLP), a joint initiative between UP and the Global Young Academy.