Volume 1
Global climate change and sustainable development : third report of Session 2001-02 / International Development Committee.
- Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. International Development Committee
- Date:
- 2002
Licence: Open Government Licence
Credit: Global climate change and sustainable development : third report of Session 2001-02 / International Development Committee. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![mitigation policy could exacerbate impacts on vulnerable livelihoods, for example, by increasing the cost of fertilisers or energy. Access to energy 61. Energy is essential for social and economic development'* and any development strategy must address the need for suitable, sustainable and affordable energy.'** Many developing countries face an enormous challenge in bridging the energy gap; Andy Haines, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told us that two billion people did not have access to adequate energy.’ Tackling poverty, meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and ensuring sustainable development will require an increase in energy consumption. Energy consumption in developing countries is predicted to double over the next twenty years.'*° In the short-term, it is unlikely that an economic case can be made for switching from dirty fuels like coal and oil. Phasing out fossil fuels entirely may not be possible or desirable for many decades.'*’ Most developing countries will remain dependent on fossil fuels as a major source of energy for decades to come because they are cheap and readily available.'** But there can be some synergy between the goals of energy efficiency, greenhouse gas mitigation and energy security. The Intermediate Technology Development Group argued that because developing countries start from relatively low levels of energy consumption there was an opportunity for them to follow a cleaner energy technology path.'* Substituting gas for coal and other high carbon sources will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while still meeting the demand for energy.'”’ Gas can provide an environmentally and economically acceptable short-term solution as the _ renewable sources that will ultimately play a major part in providing energy for power and heat are developed.'”! We were encouraged to see in Nigeria that efforts were being made to reduce gas flaring by developing a domestic market for natural gas, tackling flaring and providing an alternative energy source. However, it was clear that more could be done to accelerate the process. Solutions for tackling climate change and bridging the energy gap should combine existing and new energy solutions to ensure the future is both economically and environmentally sustainable.'? 62. Renewable energy, especially small-scale off-grid solutions, could reduce local, regional, and global environmental impacts as well as energy security risks (in some cases at a lower cost for consumers). For example, renewable energy technologies could be the lowest cost option for providing off-grid household and village-scale power in rural areas of developing countries.'”? We accept that fossil fuel use will continue to rise in developing countries as efforts are made to bridge the energy gap. However, each time the use of fossil fuels is considered as a source of energy, developing countries and donors should assess if a viable renewable alternative would ultimately be more sustainable or if there is a low-emission alternative. We believe that the Clean Development Mechanism has a crucial role to play in helping to make this transition and DFID should be promoting it within developing countries. We are conscious that dealing with individual projects is unlikely to bring about the large scale transformation needed in energy systems and some form of mechanism may be necessary to speed up the market transformation to cleaner energy sources. 1836 y 144 [para 5] wasEY 145 [para 18] '86G8 Renewable Energy Taskforce, Final Report, July 2001. See www.renewabletaskforce.org/report.asp I87Ey 146 [para 2.7] 'S8Ry 139 18 y 144 [para 5] 1906y 145 [para 1.2] '91Ry 147 [para 2.8] '920 NEP, 2001, UNEP Finance Initiatives Climate Change Working Group Position Paper. '°3G8 Renewable Energy Taskforce, Final Report, July 2001. See www.renewabletaskforce.org/report.asp](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b32221356_0001_0043.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
