By Adéṣẹ́gun Ọṣìbánjọ́
Global vitality demand continues to rise sharply, at the same time as nations battle to steadiness sustainability targets with {economic} development. For growing nations, particularly throughout Africa, this stress has created a brand new coverage dilemma — methods to industrialise with out being penalised by international decarbonisation targets.
According to the Adéṣẹ́gun Nexus Foundation, in partnership with the United Nations, the answer lies in adopting the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) framework — a realistic mannequin that treats carbon as a useful resource to be managed, reused, and recycled, slightly than merely eradicated.
CCE presents a brand new path for {economic} diversification, industrial growth, and job creation, whereas nonetheless aligning with international net-zero ambitions.
Driving Economic Growth by Smart Carbon Management
At its core, the Circular Carbon Economy operates on 4 key ideas: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Remove. By embedding these in industrial coverage, nations can flip carbon into worth — producing new markets for captured CO₂, driving innovation in manufacturing, and opening alternatives for carbon-credit commerce and funding partnerships.
Adéṣẹ́gun Ọṣìbánjọ́, President of the Foundation, says the method “bridges the gap between environmental responsibility and economic progress.”
“Energy transition must not mean economic stagnation,” he explains. “By investing in clean carbon technologies like CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage), developing nations can expand industrial output and protect jobs while meeting global sustainability targets.”
Boosting Local Industries and Jobs
CCE holds robust potential for Africa’s industrial base. The integration of carbon recycling and storage techniques can stimulate new industries in cement, metal, chemical, and development sectors — areas that presently account for greater than one-third of world emissions.
According to Foundation estimates, such industries may contribute over $50 billion yearly to Africa’s GDP by 2035 by carbon reuse and export-linked improvements.
It additionally creates jobs throughout worth chains — from carbon expertise engineering and pipeline infrastructure to information analytics and environmental companies.
Attracting Sustainable Investment
With the precise incentives, Circular Carbon initiatives may entice important inflows from Green Climate Funds, ESG-focused traders, and worldwide carbon markets.
Ọṣìbánjọ́ advocates for brand new {financial} devices inside the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust and the World Bank’s Climate Investment Funds to again carbon seize amenities in rising economies.
“These funds must prioritise measurable results — not ideological posturing,” he provides. “The goal is to create industries that generate revenue and reduce emissions simultaneously.”
Securing Energy Stability
While renewables stay important, CCE recognises that fossil fuels will proceed to play a significant function in international vitality provide for many years. Rather than demonising hydrocarbons, the mannequin focuses on cleaner extraction, effectivity, and reinvestment of carbon income into renewable techniques.
READ ALSO: OPEC Keeps Global Oil Demand Growth Projections Steady for 2025, 2026
“This dual approach ensures that no country is left behind in the global shift,” Ọṣìbánjọ́ says. “Energy stability is a prerequisite for economic stability.”
Global Cooperation and Market Integration
The Foundation additionally requires integration of carbon seize credit into worldwide commerce techniques beneath Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. This would permit nations to promote or trade verified carbon credit derived from geological storage or industrial reuse — turning accountable carbon administration right into a tradable {economic} asset.
If adopted, analysts say, the CCE framework may change into a multi-trillion-dollar international business, rivaling renewables in funding potential and long-term {economic} influence.
A Balanced Future
For nations like Nigeria, the place oil and gasoline nonetheless account for a significant share of export income, the Circular Carbon Economy represents a possibility to restructure the vitality sector with out collapsing it.
“It’s time to view carbon as capital, not catastrophe,” Ọṣìbánjọ́ concludes. “The world’s next economic boom will belong to nations that master the balance between growth and green innovation.”
Adéṣẹ́gun Ọṣìbánjọ́, B.Eng, MBA, is President of the Adéṣẹ́gun Nexus Foundation, and an advocate for sustainable industrialisation and equitable local weather coverage in Africa.
