Must move together on climate change
Friday, 25 September 2009
PRESIDENT Barak Obama, addressing the United Nations General Assembly last Wednesday, said the United States would 'no longer drag her feet on climate change,' and acknowledged the need for the world to move together to find sustainable solutions to the almost intractable problems let loose by indiscriminate human activities. After the last Bush adminstration's intransigence over the Kyoto Protocol, Obama's forthright attitude and apparent earnestness is certainly reassuring. While the rich countries must come forward to help eradicate extreme poverty and work for sustainable economic growth, he continued, developing countries must also do their bit by cutting emissions. This could be achieved by jump-starting development with green technologies transferred, hopefully, through North-South cooperation.
A series of meetings, summits, conferences have been taking place at various venues, ostensibly, in preparation for the gala Climate Conference in Copenhagen this December. The most recent was in New York where the Chinese President spelt out his plans to cut emissions, restore forest cover, invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency. With its billion-plus population and heady economic growth, China has already overtaken the US in greenhouse gas emissions, according to the latest reports. India is another vibrant economy where emissions are growing worryingly. Both must come on board, along with other polluters big and small, if an effective global deal on climate change is to be made by year end.
Bangladesh, within its own constraints of poor politics and weak governance, has been trying to 'act locally, think globally' too. By 2015 five per cent of the country's total electricity demand is to be met through green energy sources, particularly solar energy, to meet the demand for power in off-grid remote areas. By 2020 the government hopes to double the supply of non-conventional energy, according to a recent report, and Bangladesh Bank has created a Taka 2.0 billion 'revolving' fund for the purpose. This would be accessible as low interest loans to renewable energy developers and distributors in the country. In addition, the government in its fiscal 2009-10 budget announced that value added tax on sales of solar panels would go, and so would tariff on import of related accessories. It also plans to provide 35,000 high schools, colleges and madrassas with solar panels to generate enough energy to power computers, televisions, fans and lights. Grameen Shakti, one of the foremost solar energy providers in the country is likely to implement the plan under a PPP (public-private-partnership) scheme with the state-owned renewable energy lender, IDCOL (Infrastructure Development Company Limited) as financier.
At the moment, solar panels account for less than 1.0 per cent of the 4000 megawatts or thereabouts generated every day with oil, gas, coal and water. But in terms of people, it means no less than three million rural folk who today are being served by energy from the sun. This development should be seen as much more than a modest effort to take pressure off grid-based conventional power. It is indeed a very laudable green initiative that deserves replication and credits from the global carbon market. Developing countries like Bangladesh, where per capita fossil fuel consumption is one of the lowest in the world, have a right to carbon credits from the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases.
Rich countries are supposed to 'compensate' by funding green projects in poor ones. Carbon trade is a complex affair and the government's relevant departments should stay abreast of developments in this fast evolving 'market' so that Bangladesh can speak up for its right to compensation and is able to finance green energy faster, for its own benefit, and for the world at large. Meanwhile, plunderers of natural and man-made forests -- the felling of the cyclone shield in Teknaf, for example -- ought to be severely dealt with and awareness about the all-encompassing implications of climate change raised and internalised.
A series of meetings, summits, conferences have been taking place at various venues, ostensibly, in preparation for the gala Climate Conference in Copenhagen this December. The most recent was in New York where the Chinese President spelt out his plans to cut emissions, restore forest cover, invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency. With its billion-plus population and heady economic growth, China has already overtaken the US in greenhouse gas emissions, according to the latest reports. India is another vibrant economy where emissions are growing worryingly. Both must come on board, along with other polluters big and small, if an effective global deal on climate change is to be made by year end.
Bangladesh, within its own constraints of poor politics and weak governance, has been trying to 'act locally, think globally' too. By 2015 five per cent of the country's total electricity demand is to be met through green energy sources, particularly solar energy, to meet the demand for power in off-grid remote areas. By 2020 the government hopes to double the supply of non-conventional energy, according to a recent report, and Bangladesh Bank has created a Taka 2.0 billion 'revolving' fund for the purpose. This would be accessible as low interest loans to renewable energy developers and distributors in the country. In addition, the government in its fiscal 2009-10 budget announced that value added tax on sales of solar panels would go, and so would tariff on import of related accessories. It also plans to provide 35,000 high schools, colleges and madrassas with solar panels to generate enough energy to power computers, televisions, fans and lights. Grameen Shakti, one of the foremost solar energy providers in the country is likely to implement the plan under a PPP (public-private-partnership) scheme with the state-owned renewable energy lender, IDCOL (Infrastructure Development Company Limited) as financier.
At the moment, solar panels account for less than 1.0 per cent of the 4000 megawatts or thereabouts generated every day with oil, gas, coal and water. But in terms of people, it means no less than three million rural folk who today are being served by energy from the sun. This development should be seen as much more than a modest effort to take pressure off grid-based conventional power. It is indeed a very laudable green initiative that deserves replication and credits from the global carbon market. Developing countries like Bangladesh, where per capita fossil fuel consumption is one of the lowest in the world, have a right to carbon credits from the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases.
Rich countries are supposed to 'compensate' by funding green projects in poor ones. Carbon trade is a complex affair and the government's relevant departments should stay abreast of developments in this fast evolving 'market' so that Bangladesh can speak up for its right to compensation and is able to finance green energy faster, for its own benefit, and for the world at large. Meanwhile, plunderers of natural and man-made forests -- the felling of the cyclone shield in Teknaf, for example -- ought to be severely dealt with and awareness about the all-encompassing implications of climate change raised and internalised.