Importance of Sustainable Development
Write an Essay on renewable energy in developing countries.
Environment is one of the crucial parameters, which needs to be considered for bestowing a quality lifestyle to the people. Keeping the environment clean adds value to the existence of the people. Moreover, it is assistance in terms of preserving the ecological biodiversity. Sustaining mentality towards the natural resources proves beneficial in terms of catering to the needs of the future generation (Twidell & Weir, 2015). Herein lays the true essence of the aspect sustainable development. This essay attempts to bring out the issue of environmental development by looking into the renewable sources of energies in the developing countries.
This type of energy is derived from sources like sunlight, wind, rain, rides, waves and geothermal heat. As a matter of specification, four main areas in which the energy is provided are- electricity generation, air and water heating or cooling, transportation and rural energy services. The report published by REN21 reveals renewable energy consist of 19.3% of human’s global energy consumption. 24.5% of this energy is accounted as the electricity generated in 2015 and 2016 (Ellabban, Abu-Rub & Blaabjerg, 2014). 8.9% of this energy comes from biomass, 4.2% as heat energy, 3.9% as hydro electricity, 2.2% of energy is derived from the usual natural sources. Worldwide investments contributed US$286 million for renewable energies in 2015. This included China and United States, who invested in hydropower, solar and biofuels.
Globalization has altered the scenario of the developing countries. This includes all the parameters including the energy resources. According to the recent economic report, the market has revealed 1.6% increase in the energy need. Depletion of the natural energy resources has necessitated the need for new sources of energy for catering to the needs of the people. The developing countries have enough for fulfilling the demands of the population (Hosseini & Wahid, 2016). However, over-exploitation of the natural resources is making the conversation process difficult. In such a situation, summits and conferences are being conducted for seeking suggestions towards reducing the carbon footprints.
Poverty is one of the challenges towards implementing such plans. This is because the malice contradicts the developmental issues. In such a situation, plans relating to the installation of systems with low carbon footprints attain an interrogative parameter. Along with this, increase in the emission of the harmful gases, which has contributed to the environmental pollution (Omri, Mabrouk & Sassi-Tmar, 2015). Poor quality of the air along with the sudden climactic conditions has generated the risk of cancerous diseases. Moreover, the pollutants have adversely affected the living standards of the people. Commercialization of the energy resources from the traditional energy resources has brought noticeable changes within the market trends.
Renewable Energy Sources in Developing Countries
The main sources of energy in our surroundings are the street lights, community spaces, schools, hospitals and most importantly the households. In the house, energy access is needed for carrying out the basic activities telecommunications, cooking, entertainment, washing among others. Access to energy is an important aspect in the small businesses. This is in terms of production and creating job opportunities (Nematollahi et al., 2016). In the hospitals, the requirements for energy are directed towards safer deliveries, vaccinations and better health outcomes. Overall, it can be said that access to energy is vital for socio-economic development of the developing nations.
The binary indicators measure energy. The scientists express concern regarding the appropriateness of these indicators. Here, the parameters covered were whether the electrical connection is flexible enough for producing the desirable service. Along with this, the scientists are also concerned whether the technologies are capable in providing the access levels properly (Huenteler, Niebuhr & Schmidt, 2016).
Adoption of advanced technology helped in the development of systems, which possessed flexibility in enhancing the productivity. Disparity between advancement in technology and the quality of resources is a failure towards meeting the demands of the public. Here, the heading “solution” attains an interrogative parameter. This failure sheds light on the need for increasing the renewable sources of energy in the developing countries. Developing a framework can prove advantageous in terms of exposing appropriate attitude towards achieving sustainable development (Nejat et al., 2015). Adopting machines, which possesses flexibility in measuring the levels of energy consumption can be an effective example of the strategic approach. Within this, consideration of the production levels would be assistance in terms of estimating the future effects.
The framework is basically a tool kit, which would help the developing countries in gaining an insight into the benchmark level of consumption. This insight would enable the personnel in keeping the energy level under control. For this, consideration of the existing frameworks would be helpful (Hua, Oliphant & Hu, 2016). This was a scheme launched in 2011 by the United Nations Secretary General. The aim of this scheme was to provide access to every person regarding modern energy resources. The time limit for this is 2030.
World Bank collaborated with the International Energy Agency for developing a framework, Sustainable Energy for All Global Tracking Framework. This framework directed the environmentalists to measure the baseline and collect the data. This collection would enable them to reach to the identified and the specified goals (Stigka, Paravantis & Mihalakakou, 2014).
Challenges Faced by Developing Countries
Energy Sector Management Assistance Program collaborated with the multiple development partners. This was under the initiative of Sustainable Energy for All. The aim of this framework was to ensure whether all of the agencies have proper access towards energy. The approach of this framework is multi-dimensional, as it includes various parameters. The major objectives of this framework are: establishing a global baseline of energy access; transferring energy capacity to the national Statistics offices; seek continuous improvements towards tracking the progress of energy resources. Along with this, the objectives also include the provision of reliable data to the stakeholders (Sebri & Ben, 2014).
The framework proved beneficial in enhancing the knowledge of the households regarding the different energy levels and their utilization. Insight into this differentiation results enabled the people to consume the energy judiciously. The quality and quantity requirements in the connection made the people acquainted with the counts of the tier, which recorded the daily consumption of energy. This measured and allowed the aggregation of the households where access served by the different technologies gains prominence. Typical examples can be the readings of the grid and off-grid (Kousksou et al., 2015).
The Framework was introduced in 2013 in the form of a report written by World Bank’s Energy sector Management Assistance Program. Many of the organizations are included in this framework for developing measures to track the energy levels. This collaboration resulted in innovative programs like Energizing Development, Lighting Africa, Practical Action, The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves among others. Mention can be made of UN Industrial Development Organization, who collaborated with World Bank and World Health Organization (Lauber & Jacobsson, 2016). This collaboration resulted in the development of the Multi-Tier Framework. The major drive behind this was overcoming the drawbacks within the binary energy access assessment. Under this, experiments were done for specifying the houses with and without the electrical coverage.
There are three main sections of this framework- household energy, energy for productive engagement and community facilities. In all of these sections, access is common, as it helps in assessing the consumption levels of energy within the households.
Better decision towards keeping the energy consumption levels within the limit, leads to the development of flexible policies. Effective planning in this direction forms a policy, which is flexible in tracking the progress of access to the energy services on a national and program level (Surendra et al., 2014). Along with this, planning would also be assistance in terms of setting realistic targets for regulating the universal access in the developing countries. Apart from this, the policy would inform the board about the interventions, which would promote the users to the next tiers. The policy would assist the staffs to analyze the data regarding the current usage. This analysis is further assistance in terms of catering the supply and demands relating to the energy resources in the developing countries. This exchange of information is fruitful in terms of speculating the relationship between the energy utilization in the other sectors.
Frameworks and Initiatives for Improving Access to Energy
2012 was the period when United Nations Assembly announced International Year of Sustainable Energy for All. 2014 was declared as Decade of Sustainable Energy for All. Here, the timescale of the project was 2014-2024. The following year was declared as the year for ensuring whether the public has access towards affordable, reliable and sustainable energy. Survey tools were developed for implementing the framework plans (Bilgili, Koçak, & Bulut, 2016). Collaboration from the World Bank proved effective in this regards. They indulged in collaboration with the government agencies and survey firms, which proved beneficial in adding to the job opportunities. The outcomes of the survey were a further assistance in preparing the final diagnostic report.
The information from the surveys covered the parameters of household electricity assessment, cooking assessment, gender specification, poverty levels. These were important for gaining an insight into the energy consumed. Experiments were conducted for assessing the feasibility of the framework towards access interventions. Here, the parameters considered were reliability, health and safety, legality, quality, affordability, day time and night time durations and technology (Unenvironment.org, 2018). The graphical projection reflects the percentage and the category into which the people belong.
These initiatives consist of the efforts put in by the industry stakeholders towards preserving the exploitation of the renewable energy. The scheme was to cover specific countries for tracking the renewable energy consumption. In other words, the scheme was to reflect the importance of renewable sources of energy for estimating the future cumulative output. Within this, technological and financial constraints reflect the consciousness towards stabilizing the economy. This was paralleled with that of fossil fuel projects. Mention can be made of US and Brazil, where wind and bio-energy gained prominence. In US, most of the energy came from coal (Omri, Mabrouk & Sassi, 2015). As a matter of specification, renewable energy from the wind and biofuels sectors contribute to one-seventh of the oil and natural gas reserves. Compared to this, Brazil wind sector is small in the current stage. Plans are being made to increase the capacity in the coming years. This is through the means of potentially commercial projects. However, the wind sector is strong, as they contribute to two-fifths of the oil and natural gas reserves.
According to the reports, investment values in the richer countries are higher as compared to the poorer ones. This is in terms of power and financial capability. Renewable Energy Policy Network for 21st century (Ren21) reveals the investment of 196.5 billion pounds in the renewable power and fuels (Independent.co.uk, 2018). Here, globalization played an important role. In case of China, India and Brazil revealed 107 billion pounds. However, schemes like hydropower and cooling technologies were excluded. In this, the experts were of the opinion that UK outnumbered the poorer countries in terms of creating the proper environment for luring the foreign investors.
Flexible Policies for Energy Consumption
This was a global project in terms of reducing the emission. As a matter of specification, the project proposed that in 2005 and 2006, 0.6 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide would be reduced from the annual emissions. The time estimated was 2020 (Independent.co.uk, 2018). Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the communities to extend financial assistance through the means of climate change programs. Head of UN Environment contradicted this statement on the basis of the diverse implications, which renewable energies possess.
Conclusion
The environmentalists need to take steps for making the people aware of the importance of conserving the natural resources. Campaigns and advertisements can be considered for making the people acquainted with the current issues of increased over-exploitation. Adhering to the environmental directives would help the agencies in keeping the emissions within the limits. Consciousness in this direction is fruitful in terms of adopting a joint collaboration towards preserving the ecological biodiversity.
References
Bilgili, F., Koçak, E., & Bulut, Ü. (2016). The dynamic impact of renewable energy consumption on CO2 emissions: a revisited Environmental Kuznets Curve approach. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 54, 838-845.
Ellabban, O., Abu-Rub, H., & Blaabjerg, F. (2014). Renewable energy resources: Current status, future prospects and their enabling technology. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 39, 748-764.
Hosseini, S. E., & Wahid, M. A. (2016). Hydrogen production from renewable and sustainable energy resources: promising green energy carrier for clean development. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 57, 850-866.
Hua, Y., Oliphant, M., & Hu, E. J. (2016). Development of renewable energy in Australia and China: A comparison of policies and status. Renewable Energy, 85, 1044-1051.
Huenteler, J., Niebuhr, C., & Schmidt, T. S. (2016). The effect of local and global learning on the cost of renewable energy in developing countries. Journal of Cleaner Production, 128, 6-21.
Independent.co.uk (2018), Developing world invests more in renewable energy than rich countries for first time, new study says, Retrieved 30th May 2018 from https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/renewable-energy-investment-developed-world-developing-world-ren21-report-a7058436.html
Kousksou, T., Allouhi, A., Belattar, M., Jamil, A., El Rhafiki, T., Arid, A., & Zeraouli, Y. (2015). Renewable energy potential and national policy directions for sustainable development in Morocco. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 47, 46-57.
Lauber, V., & Jacobsson, S. (2016). The politics and economics of constructing, contesting and restricting socio-political space for renewables–The German Renewable Energy Act. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 18, 147-163.
Nejat, P., Jomehzadeh, F., Taheri, M. M., Gohari, M., & Majid, M. Z. A. (2015). A global review of energy consumption, CO2 emissions and policy in the residential sector (with an overview of the top ten CO2 emitting countries). Renewable and sustainable energy reviews, 43, 843-862.
Nematollahi, O., Hoghooghi, H., Rasti, M., & Sedaghat, A. (2016). Energy demands and renewable energy resources in the Middle East. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 54, 1172-1181.
Omri, A., Mabrouk, N. B., & Sassi-Tmar, A. (2015). Modeling the causal linkages between nuclear energy, renewable energy and economic growth in developed and developing countries. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 42, 1012-1022.
Sebri, M., & Ben-Salha, O. (2014). On the causal dynamics between economic growth, renewable energy consumption, CO2 emissions and trade openness: Fresh evidence from BRICS countries. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 39, 14-23.
Stigka, E. K., Paravantis, J. A., & Mihalakakou, G. K. (2014). Social acceptance of renewable energy sources: A review of contingent valuation applications. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 32, 100-106.
Surendra, K. C., Takara, D., Hashimoto, A. G., & Khanal, S. K. (2014). Biogas as a sustainable energy source for developing countries: Opportunities and challenges. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 31, 846-859.
Twidell, J., & Weir, T. (2015). Renewable energy resources. Routledge.
Unenvironment.org (2018), Renewable energy in developing countries , Retrieved 30th May 2018 from https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/renewable-energy-and-energy-efficiency-developing-countries-can
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