Electricity planning for sustainable development in the MENA region
In the latest publication of the project Middle East North Africa Sustainable ELECtricity Trajectories (MENA-SELECT), the authors Boris Schinke and Jens Klawitter (Germanwatch) together with Maurice Döring (BICC), Nadejda Komendantova (IIASA), Jenan Irshaid (IIASA) and Joanne Bayer (IIASA) develop criteria and indicators for conducting a sustainability assessment of different electricity generation technologies. As electricity systems are not developed in isolation from society, but in a continuous interaction with social, economic, environmental, and political dimensions, this publication aims to develop a comprehensive database for the purpose of evaluating the complex trade-offs between different electricity generation technologies and sustainable development at the national and local level in Morocco, Jordan and Tunisia. By shedding light on the intersection between electricity generation technologies, sustainable development and society, the results of this publication are intended to complement previous research on energy systems—that either focused on singular aspects of sustainable development, techno–economic aspects of electricity systems or on selected electricity technologies—with the "societal element" in electricity planning. Taken up by policymakers, project developers, civil society organization and researchers, the database of this document is furthermore envisioned to help in paving the way towards an energy system that is not only reliable, affordable and accessible but also socially robust and that contributes to sustainable development in Morocco, Jordan and Tunisia.