BANGKOK, Thailand, FEBRUARY 9 (IPS) – For the past three years, the Pacific has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The tourism industry, the nation’s main source of income and job creation, has been dealt a heavy blow due to border closures and travel restrictions.
In April 2020, a large tornado caused widespread destruction in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga. In early 2022, a volcanic eruption in Tonga continued to cause significant damage to physical infrastructure in the country.
In addition to these existing pressures, food, fuel and financial crises have had a crippling effect on national economies across the Pacific. The vulnerabilities to both man-made and natural disasters are obvious. There is a need to accelerate transformative energy policy actions and ambitions.
Fuel import costs are increasing
Glance data shows that most Pacific nations – especially small island developing nations (SIDS) – remain heavily dependent on imported petroleum fuels and are expected to continue to do so for many years.
Outside Australia and New Zealand, oil accounts for about 80% of the total energy supply of the Pacific, of which 52% is used for transportation, 37% for power generation and 12% for other applications such as electricity process heat. Renewable energy accounts for only 17% of the total energy supply.
Fuel imports cost the region $6 billion annually, or about 5 to 15 percent of GDP per economy. This is a huge economic burden. With its vast natural resources, independent and self-sufficient history and culture, and low energy intensity, the Pacific sub-region offers tremendous advantages for leadership in transition. energy. So there are solutions to reduce this cost.
New ESCAP report – Pacific vision 2022: Accelerating climate action – lay the groundwork for the Pacific energy sector’s rapid transition away from fossil fuel imports and increase access to modern energy services to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) harmonize with global climate goals.
This strengthens the case for reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels. The shift to locally generated renewable energy sources is supported by both economic benefits and energy security benefits.
Promote implementation of SDG 7
Everyone realizes that the Pacific is not on track to provide universal access to fuels and clean cooking technology by 2030. In fact, this goal could be one of the major obstacles. most to achieve SDG 7.
However, experts have recognized that energy access is best achieved through the use of solar energy, and for many people still without electricity across the Pacific, the best access solution will be is to install stand-alone solar home systems.
Experts now recommend going beyond minimum electrical access and using metrics like multi-layer frame or a “minimum modern energy” consumption of at least 1,000 kWh per year as a better approach indicator.
On the other hand, access to clean fuels and technologies is among the lowest in the world as depicted in the chart below. By 2020, nearly 10 million people across the Pacific do not have access to clean cooking, the majority of which (8.1 million) are in Papua New Guinea. Furthermore, access to clean cooking in many countries is stagnating and in some cases even falling.
Focus on solution-oriented energy transition policies
A range of policy interventions and intergovernmental mechanisms are available to assist policymakers in addressing the issues of overdependence on fossil fuels and lack of modern energy access. .
First, renewable energy offers some very low benefits. Because imported petroleum accounts for about 72% of electricity supply and nearly 100% of transportation energy; In many cases, renewable sources can provide clean energy at a lower cost. Developing infrastructure to support the transition to electric vehicles presents an opportunity to move renewable energy into the transportation sector.
Second, the business case for energy efficiency is very strong and carries potential to reduce energy demand across many sectors. However, a large proportion of these opportunities remain unrealized.
Finally, policymakers should collaborate through existing Pacific regional initiatives to support capacity expansion and local capacity through coordinated training and knowledge transfer. knowledge in the field of energy conversion.
Readers will find more details and policy recommendations in The report is available on the ESCAP website.
By putting people at the center of policy making, the ESCAP Commission remains the most agile and vibrant anchor to accelerate the energy transition and foster unity in the region.
While it raises some complex questions, Researchers analyzed the relationship between energy efficiency and demand response in different situations and determined that a high degree of replenishment is possible.
david Ferrari as ESCAP Advisor, Sudip Ranjan Basu Deputy Head of Department cum Senior Economist and Kimberly persimmon as an economic officer
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