Energy is one of the most important issues around the world, and has been particularly important in developing countries.1 The World Bank categorizes developing countries as those “with low or middle levels of GNP [Gross National Product] per capita.”2 Developing nations are usually marked by their industrialization and economic growth, with two of the more prominent examples being China and India.3
Why are Developing Nations Important to Climate Change?
In the next 20 years the growth of global energy demand will rise by 40% due to population growth and industrialization. Currently, over 1.6 billion people worldwide are without electricity, the majority of them living in developing nations.4 An even greater cause for concern is the lack of energy efficient technologies available in these countries. As the energy demands of these nations increase, the need for efficient energy usage will be paramount to the success of climate change mitigation in these nations and the rest of the world. Let’s look at how energy is currently used in the developing world and what the future holds.
Biomass
Currently, three billion people rely on traditional biomass—animal waste, agricultural waste, fuelwood, and charcoal—for cooking, heating, and basic household energy needs. This accounts for 7% of worldwide energy demand.5 Additionally, 500 million urban dwellers still use biomass as an energy source because of its cheaper cost compared to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). While 7% seems like an insignificant number, it will grow as the population grows and the price of LPG or other alternatives increases. Furthermore, burning biomass utilizes low efficiency technologies that waste the majority of the energy produced. This means that it may take as much as three or four times the amount of wood to heat a home or cook dinner than the energy alternative. After all the burning is done, countless amounts of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere adding to the climate change issue Earth is currently facing.
Biogas Plant in India
UN photo
Perhaps even more troubling is the fact that while biomass may be a cheap and readily available resource, it has hazardous health effects and lifetime costs. Every year 1.3 million people die from indoor health related diseases, and many others suffer from respiratory illnesses such as asthma and lung disease.6 Cleaner fuel alternatives such as LPG and natural gas release much lower amounts of particulates into the air, even though of course these carbon emissions need to be lowered across the board in order to combat climate change, air pollution, and water pollution.
Biomass reliance also affects the development and lifestyle of people living in developing economies. In order for a society to become developed both socially and economically, energy must be made readily available. One of the biggest challenges in developing nations is access to electricity. Without a central grid, biomass and LPG are the only sources of energy for everyday life. Furthermore, LPG and higher density fuel options are expensive and essentially unaffordable. As a result, many children and women spend a vast majority of their time gathering enough fuel to cook meals and heat their homes. This huge time commitment stifles the education, productivity, and economic growth of these nations by creating a dependency on an inefficient and labor-intensive energy source.7
Global Initiatives
The United Nations has created a series of millennium development goals that are to increase the sustainability and decrease poverty of developing nations.8 Recognizing energy as a key to sustaining the social, economic, and environmental infrastructure of these developing countries, the UN secretary recently named 2012 as the year for sustainable energy.9 As part of the millennium development goals, the UN has directed over 135 offices worldwide to work on integrating the focuses of “climate change, biodiversity, energy, water, drylands, chemical, and ozone” into the framework of developing nations.10 This is a lofty directive, but the focus on energy and climate change in developing nations is a big step in the right direction.
On a larger scale, the renewable fuel sources . Similar, in Africa, numerous nations have banded together to create the African Renewable Energy Alliance to speed up electrification and climate change mitigation efforts. In Jordan, Indonesia, and Ethiopia, despite policies not being set in stone, renewable energy projects are popping up in the form of solar and wind plants.13 However, poorer countries have steered away from such high cost projects and restrictive environmental policies in fear of what the impacts on lifestyle, forestry, and food security may be.14
Fuelwood as a percentage of energy consumption in Africa’s developing nations. 15
With deforestation accounting for 20% of global carbon emissions, a transition from biomass to cleaner and more accessible energy is vital to the success of climate change mitigation. No winning strategy or technology has yet been created to solve the problem of energy demand and usage. However, there are steps that are currently being taken to begin answering these questions. These involve technology, accessibility, and finance, so let’s take a look at what’s being done in these arenas.
Technological advancements: Obtaining the necessary technology and creating an energy efficient grid is the most basic starting point. Creating an electrical grid will establish a network of energy transport, making energy available for individuals. Furthermore, it will promote the integration and growth of cleaner technologies such as centralized power plants, solar, wind, and other renewable energy generation. In this same category is the concept of energy efficiency. Increasing the efficiency of say, cooking stoves, or the insulating ability of a home will save energy in the long run. Along these lines, alternative cooking methods such as refrigeration techniques will save additional energy and money.
Accessibility: Making energy-efficient technologies and products available to developing nations is a major piece of the sustainability puzzle. Many times there the barriers to getting these technologies to developing nations due to patent restrictions, high costs, and functionality—I would imagine CFL energy-saving bulb wouldn’t be much help to a home with no electricity.16 The UN along with many governments in the developing world are working to make these options more available by creating partnerships and policies focused on bringing energy-efficient technologies where they are needed most. Furthermore, non-government related organizations (NGOs) are stepping up their volunteer efforts to provide the manpower and money to bridge the divide between the developed and non-developed world.
Finance: The biggest challenge is answering the question: I know what must be done, but how can I afford it? One great way countries and organizations are responding to this very question is through microfinance . Lending organizations are giving out small loans to businesses and homeowners to invest in modern fuel technologies.17 Even if the country does not have the generous tax credit incentives that the United States does, organizations are sponsoring individuals encouraging them to buy more new cook stoves that are up to 43% more efficient than their predecessors.18 If developing countries can begin implementing strategies to bring these energy-efficient technologies to its citizens, modern fuel technology has a chance of becoming an integral infrastructure component, adding to a cleaner-energy world to come.
