What is Cameroon's pathway to limit global warming to 1.5°C?

Under the 1.5°C compatible pathways analysed here, direct CO₂ emissions from energy demand in the industry sector decline faster than industrial processes. Most analysed scenarios for energy demand in the industry sector see CO₂ emissions reducing by 38-53% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels to reach close to zero emissions by 2050. GHG emissions from industrial processes see a steady decrease from 2020 onwards. According to the analysed pathways, Cameroon’s industry sector has a high electricity penetration starting at 72% in 2019 and growing to approximately 82% in 2030, 92% in 2040, and at least 94% in 2050. As the share of electricity increases in the energy mix, the share of oil steadily decreases. This sharp increase in deployment of electricity will require investments in in grid infrastructure and electricity production capacity. Electricity will help decarbonise the building sector if it is produced from renewable energy sources which it predominantly is in Cameroon (See the power section for details).

Within the industrial sector electricity consumption is dominated by the aluminium industry, with a share of about 45%, followed by the mining and cement industries.³3 Process-related emissions need to decarbonise steadily. A key lever will be to use decarbonised electricity as most emissions from aluminium production come from the electricity consumed during smelting.⁴4 The Cameroon government has prioritised investment in the energy sector in the national budget and in its National Development Strategy 2020-2030 (SND30).