12 May 2011 | EN | 中文
Over half of the world's renewable energy capacity is in the developing world
[ABUJA] Renewable energy could meet almost 80 per cent of the world's energy supply by 2050, and the developing world is home to more than 50 per cent of the capacity for renewable electricity, according to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Renewable technologies could provide power to more than two billion people in developing countries and reduce the incidence of pollution-related health problems, said the 'Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation'.
But this will only happen if policymakers create "enabling policies" for technology transfer; raising awareness of renewable technologies through communication and education, and financing their deployment.
"The IPCC report shows overwhelming scientific evidence that renewable energy can also meet the growing demand of developing countries, where more than two billion people lack access to basic energy services — and can do so at a more cost-competitive and faster rate than conventional energy sources," said Sven Teske, lead author of the report and Greenpeace International's renewable energy director, at the launch in Abu Dhabi this week (9 May).
"Governments have to kick start the energy revolution by implementing renewable energy laws across the globe."
The report looked at bioenergy; hydropower; and solar, geothermal, ocean and wind energies. Together these provided almost 13 per cent of the global energy supply in 2008, mostly from traditional biomass used in developing countries for cooking and heating.
The deployment of such technologies is on the rise worldwide, with almost half of the new electricity capacity between 2008 and 2009 coming from renewable sources.
The main limits to making renewable the main source of the world's energy needs are not technological, the report said, but socio-economic issues such as financing and policy.
The renewable energy technologies — some of which are already economically competitive — could aid sustainable economic development without increasing greenhouse gas emissions. And the use of domestic technologies could cut the costs of importing energy, and provide an energy supply less vulnerable to disruption and market volatility.
They can help create new jobs and provide poor rural areas with cheaper electricity, the report said. As such, they could contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
But they can have both positive and negative effects on water availability and biodiversity, and these should be considered in the planning stages. The report also called for more research into "opportunities for meeting the needs of developing countries with sustainable renewable energy services".
Ramón Pichs Madruga, a coordinating lead author of the report, said at the launch: "Developing countries have an important stake in this future — this is where most of the 1.4 billion people without access to electricity live, yet also where some of the best conditions exist for renewable energy deployment".
Teske added: "This is an invitation to governments to initiate a radical overhaul of their policies and place renewable energy centre stage. In the run-up to the next major climate conference, COP17 in South Africa in December, the onus is clearly on governments to step up to the mark."
The full report will be published on 31 May.
See below for an IPCC video overview of the report:
Dr.A.Jagadeesh ( Nayudamma Centre for Development Alternatives | India )
16 May 2011
Though Renewable Energy is advancing world wide it can best supplement conventional energy but cannot replace it. The United States Energy Information Administration regularly publishes a report on world consumption for most types of primary energy resources. According to IEA total world energy supply was 102,569 TWh (1990); 117,687 TWh (2000); 133,602 TWh (2005) and 143,851 TWh (2008). World power generation was 11,821 TWh (1990); 15,395 TWh (2000); 18,258 TWh (2005) and 20,181 TWh (2008). Compared to power supply 20,181 TWh the power end use was only 16,819 TWh in 2008 including EU27: 2 857 TWh, China 2 883 TWh and USA 4 533 TWh. In 2008 energy use per person was in the USA 4,1 fold, EU 1,9 fold and Middle East 1,6 fold the world average and in China 87% and India 30% of the world average.
In 2008 energy supply by power source was oil 33.5%, coal 26.8%, gas 20.8% (fossil 81%), renewable (hydro, solar, wind, geothermal power and biofuels) 12.9%, nuclear 5.8% and other 4%. Oil was the most popular energy fuel. Oil and coal combined represented over 60% of the world energy supply in 2008.
Wind Energy Expert
Marjorie Mazel Hecht ( United States of America )
17 May 2011
Developing sector beware! Industrial nations did not become industrial, with relatively high living standards, by using the least energy-flux dense forms of power, as the IPCC now recommends. This report is just more Malthusian propaganda to curb population. Without advanced forms of power, like fission, and in the future, fusion, millions of people will die. And that is the intention!
Read some of the comments of Prince Philip, who wants only 2 billion people in the world. Or the IPCC's Hans-Joachim Schellnhuber, who has proposed that Germany and the rest of the world give up both nuclear and fossil fuels.
"Global warming" was invented as a population control measure. For details, see "Where the Global Warming Hoax was Born,"
Dr Theodore Holtom ( United Kingdom )
18 May 2011
Renewable energy can replace conventional energy but it will take time to install the necessary capacity and we also need to install large energy storage such as pumped storage hydro and possibly hydrogen storage.
Yours Sincerely, Dr Theodore Holtom, Glasgow, UK (Senior Wind Energy Analyst)
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