Concerted global effort needed to tackle climate change

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

Everyone is concerned and clamours for the curtailment of climate change and for this to happen, an environmentalist believes that everyone must first and foremost realise that nothing is achievable if through this decades-long complex global crisis, others are left behind because they lack the capacity and capability.

The environmentalist, calling for well-meant and serious global collaboration — “countries willing to put in resources needed to offset emissions” — and who believes that green financing — “for cost-effective technologies” — is the main driver, as espoused by the organisation he represents, is Jagjeet Sareen.

Sareen is the International Solar Alliance (ISA)-Strategy assistant director-general. He has over 16 years of experience working on global climate change and green financing at senior positions at the World Bank; Asian Development Bank; and the funding agencies of the United Nations (UN), namely the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, concerned with the levels of greenhouse gas; and the Green Climate Fund, the world’s largest agency for investments to help the Third World contribute to a cleaner and greener environment.

The ISA mission is to “unlock $1 trillion of investments in solar by 2030 while reducing the cost of technology and its financing (that will help carry out the promotion of the) use of solar energy in the agriculture, health, transport and power generation sectors.” ISA was launched during the “21st Session of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties” in Paris, France in Nov. 2015, by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former French President Francois Hollande. Set up as a coalition for, of and by “solar-rich countries to address their special energy needs,” it has so far 98 members and open to accept even those in the temperate regions.

Email interviewed ahead of the Oct. 18 to 21 virtual “4th International Solar Alliance General Assembly,” Sareen was asked of his take on the decades-long clanging cry against the harsh consequences of being uncaring for the environment, as highly-industrialised nations such as the USA and China have been repeatedly pulled up by environmentalists as well as experts to stop their rhetoric on climate change and simply walk the talk.

Moreover, Sareen was asked on what needs to be done in order that Asian and other sun-drenched states, benefit from the alternative solar power while ironically, it is the temperate countries such as Finland, Germany and The Netherlands that are the ones leading the way and are continually progressing in the field of scientifically researched technology for alternative solar energy.

Sareen said the developed countries can definitely become the examples and take the lead on the necessary monetary as well as technological investments. He cited the Germany experience: “The country is in the northern latitude with less solar radiation than India but there are some days when 100 per cent of (its) electricity is met by renewable energy. The reason they can do this is because of the very strong interconnection that Germany has with the Nordic grid and in particular with the Norwegian system. The Norwegian system is very rich in hydro so it acts like a vacuum. When Germany needs electricity, it can get electricity from Norway, and both can become greener that they would be on their own.”

On the first question, Sareen said: “The global energy transformation would require radical changes on how the global population produces, transport, and consumes energy. Any roadmap of international effort for achieving clean energy transition must be fair and inclusive, leaving no one behind. The international development community, governments, and policymakers must ensure that developing economies and least developed countries receive the financing and technical know-how they need to continue building their energy systems to meet the needs of their expanding populations and economies sustainably.”

On the other hand, he cautioned the First World already reaping the benefits of alternative energy sources: “While they are enjoying the strong momentum of economic growth, they will need to cope with legacy systems and political leadership that can resist change.”

On the poor and developing states, Sareen said: “The energy transition from coal power to clean energy in (these) is not a straight path. Policies need to balance between addressing the growing needs and focus on transition toward clean energy alternatives. With proper financial support, developing economies can surely address both the challenges at one go and ensure sustainable and cost optimal energy supply for long term economic growth.”

On the second question, Sareen cited China and Vietnam as the “countries that receive the most sunlight.” He added that Asia is “expected to be the nucleus of solar energy by 2050.” He continued: “Countries will have to come together, look beyond national boundaries, and cooperate with each other in order to successfully develop and optimally harness their respective energy capability. Solar energy offers numerous advantages for bringing power to many more people. It is freely available, abundant, emissions-free, modular and scalable, suitable for off-and-on grid applications, relatively easy to install, increasingly affordable, and well-suited to ‘sunshine country’ environments.”

Meanwhile, for the ISA general assembly, director general Dr. Ajay Mathur said: “The ISA is now stepping into its next phase of its mission. We are working towards mobilising $1 trillion of investments for a massive deployment of solar energy technologies and for expanding solar markets to promote a clean energy transition, enabling energy access and energy security; and delivering a new economic driver for all countries.”