The designing of the 793 Electric mining excavator by the heavy equipment manufacturing giants,Caterpillar that comes with battery-electric and hydrogen-electric variants in mind,is indeed,refreshing to know and worth taking note of in Africa.
Innovative technological solutions for addressing global industry challenges, has a vital role to play towards the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) and Africa should for ever be circumspect.
We of the Ecoenvironews Africa magazine strongly subscribes to the Africa needs energy and transition justice and thus,the continent shouldn’t therefore be stampeded into adopting an abrupt halt approach to fossil fuel exploration and production approach. Allowing Africa to craft a well informed and independent energy transition plan that is fair and just to her granted her peculiar economic circumstances,is worth giving a thought.
However,we also strongly believe,the executive arms of African governments,the legislature,Judiciary and all stakeholders in the continent’s mineral extractive industries ought to ensure the implementation of ecofriendly mineral extraction policies as well as,more responsible governance of Africa’s rich mineral resources endowments.
Putting in place ,rigid and enforceable legal and regulatory frameworks that ensure responsible ecofriendly exploitation of the continent’s vast mineral resources on the back of environmental impact and cutting edge technological standards assessment standard guidelines.
There ought to be a paradigm shift from age-long way of doing things in the extractive industries to a new dawn of paradigm.That is, knowledge,science,technology and innovation driven exploration,exploitation and utilization of Africa’s minerals resources for sustainable development.
Aside the most popularly exploited precious minerals,Africa is also richly blessed in countless industrial minerals that are woefully under explored but ,the exploitation of which could have a positive impact on the development of the continent’s building and construction,agriculture,manufacturing,medical and other industries.
Africa needs a new dawn of more responsible and sustainable primary agricultural production,oil and gas, and mineral wealth exploitation.
