Le consommateur et le commerce des énergies renouvelables en Afrique subsaharienne

Since the industrial revolution, technical and technological progress, energy needs and the use of nonrenewable energies have increased. This increase has led to the marginalization of renewable energies and a need to protect the environment from the negative impacts of nonrenewable energy use. Thus, the need to protect the environment in a way that is consistent with sustainable development has emerged, as has the greater concern to protect consumers (with the work of a strong consumerist movement). The use and the necessity of renewable energies are gradually increasing and taking on greater importance at the economic level. This increase has led to the development of many business projects or investments in their production and their distribution to consumers. However, the analysis of the governance and/or legal framework of the renewable energies trade reveals that the interest of the consumer seems to have been neglected by consumer law. It is necessary to find, in the absence of adequate consumer protection, a balance between the protection of consumers and that of the undertakings that must provide the elements to be consumed. In this sense, taking into account legal realities or local culture could contribute to the construction of a more efficient system.