Can the Global South Afford the Energy Transition? | Gauri Singh

The global renewable energy transition is accelerating, but its progress is far from evenly distributed.For countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, the transition is about more than reducing emissions. It is also about energy access, industrialisation, infrastructure, affordability, and ensuring countries can benefit from the renewable resources they already have.In this episode of Global Southing, we speak with Gauri Singh, Deputy Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), about what it will take for the Global South to participate more fully in the energy transition.From the cost of capital and grid infrastructure to clean cooking and green hydrogen, the conversation explores why enormous renewable potential has not always translated into projects on the ground, and what governments, investors, industry and international institutions can do to close that gap.Tune in to learn:→ Why renewable energy deployment remains heavily concentrated in a few regions→ How financing, political risk and the cost of capital hold back projects in the Global South→ Why stronger grids and transmission infrastructure are critical to renewable expansion→ How governments and the private sector can work together to accelerate the transition→ Why solar-rich countries are still struggling to turn renewable potential into projects→ How clean cooking can improve energy access, health and livelihoods→ Where green hydrogen could create new opportunities for developing economies→ Why the energy transition needs participation from finance, industry, transport and wider societyKey Moments1:35 The global renewable energy divide3:16 Why renewable projects struggle to attract capital5:54 How IRENA is supporting the global energy transition9:22 Bringing governments, industry and investors together14:34 Building renewable energy ecosystems in the Global South18:00 Why solar and wind potential remains underused24:10 The infrastructure problem behind the energy transition30:17 Why clean cooking still needs greater attention35:12 Green hydrogen and opportunities for the Global South39:56 What it will take to deliver a truly global energy transitionFollow Global SouthingLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-southing/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/globalsouthing/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@globalsouthingListen to the podcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0R17ovyZOxFjSrIGM5TjcZ?si=580a700875544cb1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/global-southing/id1874600009