Although Ethiopia has been at the forefront when it comes to implementing a climate resilient green economy strategy in East Africa, the poor country still heavily depends on imported fossil fuels to  keep its energy and transportation sectors running. However, the case for developing an Economy that?s free from fossil fuels is convincing to Ethiopia. It has the natural recourse assets which will help generate all clean energy it needs and to decouple the economy from the widely fluctuating prices and unsustainable nature of the oil based Economy. There are a number of reasons for why Ethiopia should break free from fossil fuels and turn to renewable energy sources but below, I have listed the top 3 that are practical and if dealt with, can make the country well positioned to become a regional and global leader in low Carbon growth.

Dependence on imported fossil fuels: - Ethiopia still depends on expensive imported fossil fuels to quench mainly, its need for energy and transportation. Although the price of oil has plummeted drastically for in the past 5 months, the country shouldn?t spend millions if not billions of dollars in buying fossil fuels while it has a huge low carbon potential and possess ample renewable resources of hydro, solar, wind and geothermal energy. To make the most out of this potential, the country will need to ensure that its long-term growth is compatible with a low carbon future and most importantly, make itself as attractive as possible to investors who are interested in renewable energy sector.  

Power shortages and restricted coverage: - The vast majority of Ethiopia?s national energy is derived from fuel wood, crop and human and animal power yet again, the trend of using fossil fuel for electric power generation has been growing in the past decade. Small scale businesses have adopted a tradition of using generators that use fossil fuel to run their businesses. The habit of using fossil fuel for power generation has led to shortages, long-term  power black-outs and restricted coverage of electric power nationwide. Depending on the time frame, the power shortages could seriously impact the productivity and efficiency of small scale businesses shrinking the overall GDP of the country. The only viable alternative to the unsustainable use of fossil fuels is investing in sustainable renewable energy sources that are cost wise and efficient. Ethiopia has already built a number of dams to produce hydro-electric power. As a result, 95% of electricity in Ethiopia is now generated by hydro-power. Yet, there is a lot that must be done to break the country from fossil fuels and turn it to renewable energy.

Polluted cities: -   The reality of polluted cities is inevitable if Ethiopia continues to import fossil fuels. Industries that heavily depend on fossil fuels for power generation and the growing number of vehicles on the streets of the country have been degrading the quality of air in cities and suburbs across the country.  As a result, health problems associated with weather conditions and air quality have been rising. In order to tackle this problem, the country must focus on developing clean energy for industries and reduce the number of petrol and diesel cars on the streets.  The country also must get rid of aging and unsafe vehicle stock to reduce pollution in major cities. Such preventive actions will boost the quality of life and result in improved wellbeing.

The top 3 reasons are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to breaking free from the bondage of fossil fuels. But if Africa in general and Ethiopia in particular realize the danger of unsustainable fossil fuel usage, concrete steps should be taken now to secure the future of the next generation which is a clean environment with zero pollution and when it comes to zero pollution, breaking free from fossil fuels is not an option.