Cranking up economies, not the heat

Developing countries need greener forms of energy if their escape from poverty is not to be accompanied by an increase in their carbon-footprints. Judith Crosbie reports.

Experts and non-governmental organisations say that the effects of climate change are already being felt in the developing world. Extreme weather conditions including droughts, floods and hurricanes are occurring with such increased frequency and intensity that many organisations working in developing countries are putting it down to global climate change.

Coupled with the need to address climate change is the pressing competition for energy resources. Dwindling stocks of fossil fuel have caused a rethink on energy sources in developing countries, especially among those undergoing rapid industrialisation.

Developing countries are looking at changing traditional methods of industrial production and introducing new technology to replace fossil fuels.

Of the more advanced developing economies, China is leading the way, with work on energy-saving methods and new energy sources of pressing importance for the booming economy. A report by the government in Beijing in June set out how it intends to "vigorously improve technology self-innovation capacity for the development and utilisation of conventional energy, new energy and renewable energy". The report lists wind, solar, geothermal and hydropower as ways to replace fossil fuels but also prioritises making changes to iron and steel production to make the process more energy-efficient. Copper, zinc and aluminium industries must similarly be changed to use technology to save energy. "Mines should be required to mainly use large, highly efficient and energy-saving equipment," the report says. Oil exploration, cement manufacture, transport and agricultural machinery can also be adapted to new methods to save energy, according to the report.

Ned Helme, president of the Washington-based Centre for Clean Air Policy, says that China’s government-led drive to tackle the energy issue contrasts with India’s industry-led development in this field. In Mexico, another advancing developing country, state-of-the-art industries, such as the building sector, have adopted energy-efficient technologies, he says.

In developing countries, there is also a focus on bringing new methods and technologies to local communities to combat deforestation, which contributes to the devastating effects of droughts and floods. Changes to household energy include charcoal stoves which reduce the burning of wood. The technology change in this case is simple but important, says Arno Tomowski, director of environment and infrastructure at GTZ, an international sustainable development corporation. "Ten to 20 years ago, fuel wood was traded by the sackload in Africa. Today it is traded by the kilogramme, often using twigs and roots, which shows the scarcity," says Tomowski.

One of the biggest challenges that the developing world might present for future energy consumption and climate change is that large numbers of people who currently use very little energy, because they do not have access to electricity, might become electricity consumers. If this change is made, it must be done in a sustainable way, otherwise it will not be feasible given the current competition for energy sources, says Tomowski. Introducing new technology such as light-emitting diodes which cost less money and use very much lower levels of energy than light bulbs could be a way to bring electric lighting to households in an energy-efficient way, he adds.

Using alternative energy sources is not necessarily more expensive for developing countries, given the cost of building traditional power stations based on fossil fuel. The costs of installing and running new technology, such as solar energy, is coming down.

Some 85% of Africa’s energy consumption at present comes from fuel wood but with it comes deforestation and destruction of eco-systems, says Tomowski. The need to deliver sanitation, healthcare and education to developing countries whose populations are continuously growing means that the challenge of doing it in an energy-efficient way is ever present, he adds.

Tomowski says the EU and the developing world have to discuss at a political level how to achieve this transition, with the EU providing help to develop national strategies with energy efficiency in mind.

Green innovation

• Green technologies in use in the developing world that allow the use of less energy in a cost-effective way and help combat climate change can range from the very simple to the highly complex.

Charcoal stoves are being introduced all over Africa as a faster, cleaner, more energy-efficient way to cook food than traditional stoves that use wood. The stoves burn around 30% less fuel and emit less of the polluting fumes that can cause respiratory illnesses.

At the other end of the technological scale, scientists in China are developing technology to harness the power of wave energy, a huge potential energy source but one considered unstable. The equipment developed by CAS Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion is reportedly shock-resistant, with the capacity to produce electricity for light, computers, air-conditioning and seawater desalination.

Developing countries need greener forms of energy if their escape from poverty is not to be accompanied by an increase in their carbon-footprints. Judith Crosbie reports.