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LONDON, England, 2004-10-20 (Refocus Weekly) Development of more renewable energies and nuclear power will be required to address the challenge of climate change around the world, according to a working paper released by the World Energy Council.
“Climate change is a major environmental issue, despite remaining uncertainties about the scale of the phenomenon and the costs of abatement of emissions or of adaptation to the consequences,” it explains in ‘Reflections on Energy & Climate Change.’ “Global concentrations of greenhouse gases today are mainly the result of human activities in industrialised countries; an increase in emissions from other countries as they develop appears inescapable.”
Lower energy intensity should be the “initial approach” since “greater access to energy is an essential condition for the economic and social evolution of developing countries.” To reach significantly beyond traditional energy efficiency gains that are economically sound, “society must accept and adopt major (r)evolutions in many areas” and the evolution of human behaviour “must also play a very significant role in addition to technological innovation.”
“The ‘decarbonizing’ of national and regional economies must be sought wherever it is possible and consistent with other objectives,” it adds. “This will require the development of renewable energies (among them, remaining large hydraulic sites) and nuclear power, as well as the development and deployment of new technologies such as sequestration of carbon in cleaner fossil fuel systems, the broad commercialisation of biofuels and the development of forests.”
The ratification of the Kyoto Protocol is a high priority for some countries because it will give a legal basis for instruments to allow emissions trading and investment in sustainable energy projects in developing countries, but all countries can contribute to WEC’s goal of providing “affordable commercial energy access” to people in developing countries, explains Gerald Doucet. The objective of the working paper is to “look beyond the horizon” of the 1997 agreement.
“Solutions now exist, and there will be more, that can limit greenhouse gas emissions while fostering social and economic development,” the paper notes. “Price signals will help spur these changes” and solutions should be implemented if they have the “best cost-effectiveness ratios” when ranked by the cost per tonne of CO2 avoided.
“The optimum performance of national, regional and global energy systems depends on the range of options that are available,” it adds. “This means that society should develop and retain as many technologies as possible without arbitrarily limiting access.” Recommendations should be integrated in a pragmatic approach to include identification of “energy efficiency as the initial approach in reconciling the challenges of climate change, access to energy and security of supply.”
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