Could clean energy reverse climate change? Could continued investment
in renewable energy alternatives liberate the world’s poor and put an
end to poverty? Could large-scale solar power and hydropower projects
increase efficiency and provide cheap, clean power to millions of people
all over the world who currently live without access to reliable
electricity?
According to UN chief Ban Ki-moon, the “Sustainable Energy for All
Initiative” could accomplish all of the above, and more.
“This is the right time for the initiative,” Ban is quoted as saying in
an article in this week’s
Boston Globe. “Across the world we see momentum building for
concrete action that reduces energy poverty, catalyzes sustainable
growth, and mitigates climate change. Achieving sustainable energy is
both feasible and necessary.”
Ban Ki-moon is calling for international governments and the private
sector to ramp up sustainable energy investments because he believes
these efforts could fundamentally change the quality of life for
billions of people currently living without power.
“Why should energy poverty condemn billions to darkness, to missed
opportunities for education and prosperity?” He asks, explaining that,
“It is neither just nor sustainable that one in five lacks access to
modern electricity. It is not acceptable that three billion people have
to rely on wood, coal, or charcoal for cooking and heating. We need to
turn on the lights for all households. To do that we need to scale up
success examples of clean energy and energy-efficient technology. We
need innovation that can spread throughout the developing world where
energy demand is growing fastest.”
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who supports the Sustainable Energy for All
initiative, acknowledged that China’s position as the world’s largest
producer of greenhouse gas emissions has inspired the country to make
“sustained endeavors to reduce energy consumption and emission in
industrial, transport, and construction sectors”, efforts that have
resulted in a 20% decrease in emissions between 2005 and 2010.
“The final solution to any future energy problem does not lie with the
possession of energy resources,” Wen is quoted as saying, “but
possession of high technology and breakthrough in science and
technology. Developed countries with advanced technology should, while
protecting intellectual property rights, provide and transfer
technologies to developing and underdeveloped countries.”
So what do you think? The government of China has demonstrated a
willingness to provide aid to its own domestic burgeoning clean tech
industry, so does this statement in support of Ban Ki-moon’s initiative
indicate that the Chinese government sees some sort of benefit—beyond
humanitarianism—behind providing clean tech to the developing world?
Does it seem likely the US will jump on this global clean tech
initiative if issues like Iran’s nuclear program are not addressed? And
will we see a proliferation of clean tech in the developing world in the
same vein as the technology jump that allowed countries to “skip”
infrastructure investments in their communication systems when the
ubiquity of the cell phone made power lines obsolete?