Energy Use and the Green Economy

Africa Carbon Exchange (ACX) Carbon Workshop

Wednesday 14th November 2012

Presented by James Mwangi

Outline• What is a Green Economy?

• Green Economy Sectors

• Energy in the Green Economy

• Energy and the Green Economy

• Energy Sector Green Economy Challenges

• Potential Energy Access Technological Solutions

• Other Energy Access Solutions

• Conclusion

What is a Green Economy?

• UNEP defines a green economy as one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities

• Simply put, a green economy can be thought of as one which is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive

Green Economy Sectors• The Green Economy is based on six main

sectors:

1) Renewable Energy (solar, hydro, wind, geothermal, wave, biogas and fuel cells)

2) Green Buildings (green retrofit for energy and water efficiency)

3) Clean Transportation (alternative fuels, public transport such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), light rail, hybrid and electric vehicles, car sharing and carpooling programs)

Green Economy Sectors cont.4) Water Management (water reclamation,

grey and wastewater systems, low-water landscaping, water purification, stormwater management)

5) Waste Management (recycling, municipal solid waste management, superfund cleanup, sustainable packaging)

6) Land Management (organic agriculture, habitat conservation and restoration, urban forestry and parks, reforestation, afforestation and soil stabilization)

Energy in the Green Economy

• The Green Economy includes green energy generation based on renewable energy to substitute for fossil fuels and energy conservation for efficient energy use

Energy and the Green Economy

• Greening the energy sector will require improvements in energy efficiency and much greater supply of energy services from renewable sources, both of which will lead to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other types of pollution

• Also aims to end “energy poverty” for the estimated 1.4 billion people globally who currently lack access to electricity

Energy and the Green Economy cont.

• Also, 2.7 billion people who are dependent on traditional biomass for cooking need healthier and more sustainable energy sources

Energy Sector Green Economy Challenges• National governments such as Kenya are

faced with four major challenges with respect to the energy sector:

1) Concerns about energy security

2) Combating climate change

3) Reducing pollution and public-health hazards

4) Addressing energy poverty

Energy Sector Green Economy Challenges cont.

1) Energy Security

• Primarily associated with the reliability and affordability of national energy supply

• This against the backdrop of increasing energy demand coupled with rising fossil fuel prices

• Kenya for example devotes more than half of export earnings to energy imports

Energy Sector Green Economy Challenges cont.

2) Climate Change

• The annual global costs of adapting to climate change have been estimated by the UNFCCC to be at least US$ 49 –US$171 billion by 2030

• About half of these costs will be borne by developing countries such as Kenya

• To limit the rise of average global temperature to 2oC, the concentration of GHG’s should not exceed 450ppm CO2eq

Energy Sector Green Economy Challenges cont.3) Pollution and Public-Health Hazards

• High indirect costs associated with pollution arising from combustion of fossil fuels and traditional fuels (SOx, NOx, PM10)

• Indoor air pollution from burning solid fuel accounted for 2.7% of the global burden of disease in 2000 and is ranked as the largest environmental contributor to health problems after unsafe drinking water and lack of sanitation

Energy Sector Green Economy Challenges cont.4) Energy Poverty

• Expanding energy access is a central challenge for developing countries such as Kenya.

• Reliable and modern energy services are needed to facilitate poverty reduction, education and health improvements

• Access to energy is also crucial for achievement of most of the MDGs (1,2,3,4,5,6,7)

Potential Energy Access Technological Solutions

1) Expansion of existing centralized grids to non-served areas potentially based on renewable energy sources (urban areas)

2) Installation of decentralized mini-grids to link a community to a small generating plant (rural areas)-SREP in Kenya

3) Facilitation of off-grid access by producing electricity for a single point of demand (rural areas)

Other Energy Access Solutions

1)Improved and alternative cookstoves

2) Biogas systems

• These reduce unsustainable and inefficient use of firewood and hazardous air pollution

• Can constitute an intermediate step to the provision of modern energy services for rural populations dependant on biomass

Other Energy Access Solutions cont.• Some organizations such as the UNDP, IEA

and UNIDO have singled out clean biomass technologies for households and small industries as a priority for Africa, with the potential of developing industries suitable for rural areas

• Have included 51% of the global investment target of US$2.6 billion per annum allocated to biogas systems and 23% to advanced biomass cooking stoves both in rural areas

Conclusion

• Thus for large proportion of 1.4 billion who lack access to energy, renewable energy sources present a viable option for addressing their unmet needs

• Estimated investment to ensure access to electricity for all by 2030 is US$ 756 billion, corresponding to US$ 36 billion per year, the bulk of which would be for off-grid systems, including various renewable options.

THANK YOU…!!