In the wake of the
adverse effects of climate change being witnessed across the world, countries
are being advised to pursue greener pathways which are not only low emitters of
green house gases, but also not dependent on fossil fuels to drive their
growth. As such Clean Technology (Cleantech) has significantly gained
prominence in the post-2015 development agenda and is poised to gather more preference
in the transitioning and emerging economies. Hence, some regard cleantech as
the beginning of a revolution that will change the places where we live and
work, the products we manufacture and purchase, and the development plans of
cities, regional governments, and nations around the globe.
Wikipedia defines cleantech
as a diverse range of products, services, and processes that harness renewable
materials and energy sources, dramatically reduce the use of natural resources,
and cut or eliminate emissions and wastes. Cleantech is relatively a new
phenomenon of economic development and it is increasingly being recognized as a
vital component for economic growth and has seen a significant rise in economic
activities. According to clean energy
periodic reports, the markets for clean energy technologies grew from less
than USD7 billion in 2001 to over USD188 billion in 2010. This staggering
increase is a result of the growing constrains to economic growth due to
environmental degradation, high oil prices, scarcity of natural resources and
climate change.
Cleantech includes a
wide verity of environmental, social and economic activities predominantly comprising
the fields of:
- Recycling – reuse of resources in an efficient way reducing the cost of production and environmental pollution.
- Renewable energy – introduce new forms of energy production wind power, solar power, biomass, hydropower and biofuels.
- Information technology – The use of computerized systems and information processing to reduce the use and strain imposed on natural systems, such as computerized watering systems etc.
- Green transportation – transport with low impact on the environment such as non-motorized transport, green vehicles, Car Sharing, and urban transport systems that are fuel-efficient, spacesaving and promote healthy lifestyles.
- Green chemistry – design of products and processes that minimize the use and generation of hazardous substances. Green chemistry seeks to reduce and prevent pollution at its source.
- Energy efficiency technologies – reducing energy consumption e.g. Lighting- Compact Fluorescent Lights or LED lighting.
- Water technologies – water desalination, water purification, waste water treatment, etc.
- Green buildings – Architecture, design, construction and maintenance of building that hold a small environmental footprint.
Cleantech will bring thus
about Low Emissions Development (LED) which spurs many positive impacts to
national development goals. It promotes wider sustainable development benefits,
which helps address pressures related to economic growth, population growth,
urbanization, and resource use. A LED trajectory contributes to global
emissions reductions. In this sense, it is a mechanism for mitigating climate
change.
One of the main
arguments why is it useful for countries to consider LED while achieving their
national development goals is that if current global trends of emissions continue,
serious climate change impacts will affect countries. The distribution of
impacts is likely to be unequal and tilted against many of the world's poorest
regions, which have the least economic, institutional, scientific, and
technical capacity to cope and adapt.
LED can help prevent
and manage heat waves and droughts that involve huge risks for reduced
agriculture and harvest losses, forest fires, and heat-related deaths. It also
can help prevent and improve water stress and pollution. This will contribute
to increased access to safe and clean drinking water, which prevents health
risks. Furthermore, LED policies can help manage a wetter climate that will
cause similar social and economic costs, such as increased flooding in many
vulnerable urban areas.
LED can thus help turn
the challenges of developing countries into opportunities. It should be seen as
a development approach that assists countries to achieve sustainable economic
growth and improve living standards while slowing the rise of greenhouse gas
emissions. National LED strategies should be suitable to country-specific needs
and consistent with a country's sustainable development priorities.
Challenges of LED
Although there are many
benefits associated with a transition to low emissions development, there still
remain challenges. Questions policymakers will ask themselves include: What
sectors will have to adapt? How much will this cost? What might be the social
costs of a transition to low emissions development?
Another challenge is
that it will take increased initial investments in urban infrastructure,
electricity generation, and energy efficiency. In addition, it will require
behavioral changes from consumers and producers in society. For example, there
will have to be greater appreciation of environmental quality, a change in consumer
attitudes, and an economic approach that goes beyond GDP and includes
environmental and social values of development.
*Some
proportions of this post have been derived from the World Bank Institute’s
course on LED*
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