At the summit in Egypt, the global South must place the question of its energy poverty and serious global inequalities in energy access at the center of all discussions.
At the summit in Egypt, the global South must place the question of its energy poverty and serious global inequalities in energy access at the center of all discussions.
In a totally unequal world, what does the urgency of climate action mean? This has been a central question in climate change negotiations since the Rio Earth Summit (1992) and will also be at the root of competitions at the upcoming 27th UN Framework Convention (COP27, starting 6 November in Egypt). Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Before COP26, last year in Glasgow, several developed countries announced their intention to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. These declarations did not conform to the requirements to “keep 1.5 degrees”. C alive”. 2 Emissions Nevertheless, there was much celebration of these goals. COP26 also had high drama with moral grandeur by many developed country negotiators who called for the future of their children, as India and other countries did not understand if one fossil fuel was phased out for immediate action.
It is important to recall some of these conspiracies in COP26, because over the past year, it has become clear that the developed countries are unlikely to meet even the insufficient targets set by them, in keeping with the trend of the past three decades. . If we consider the reality of global energy inequalities, the rhetoric at COP26 appears unconsciously hypocritical.
global energy inequality
Global energy poverty is concentrated in developing countries. In 2021, 733 million people did not have electricity and about 2.6 billion did not have access to clean fuels and technologies. The average per capita energy use of the richest 20 countries is 85 times higher than that of the poorest 20.
Addressing this extreme energy poverty in developing countries is important because there is a strong link between energy supply and human development. Sub-Saharan Africa has an average annual per capita electricity consumption of 487 kilowatt-hours (kWh), with an infant mortality rate of 73 per 1,000 live births; The maternal mortality ratio is 534 per 100,000 live births, and the GDP per capita is $1,645. On the other hand, the OECD group of countries has a per capita electricity consumption of 7,750 kWh, corresponding to an infant mortality rate of seven, a maternal mortality rate of 18, and a per capita GDP of $42,098.
The reality of global inequality was clearly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America are experiencing severe agricultural and industrial recessions in the post-pandemic period. The lack of reliable energy infrastructure has added to the difficulties and has a multifaceted impact on developmental indicators.
In 2022, these inequalities are further exacerbated by rising energy and food prices. Many countries are facing huge increases in the cost of living and about 70 million additional people are estimated to fall below the poverty line of $3.20 per person per day. The poor and vulnerable communities suffer the most among the energy importing countries of the Global South. About 90 million people in Asia and Africa who have recently received electricity cannot pay their energy bills. Against this background, COP27 provides an important moment for developing countries to acknowledge and address concerns around energy access and security. Unfortunately, these long-standing problems of the global south have been ignored by developed country governments, academia and civil society. At a time when the language of energy poverty and security is re-entering the Northern lexicon, it is time to shun the hypocrisy of the North’s advice on fossil fuel use to some of the world’s poorest regions since the Paris Agreement. to be done. Signed.
hypocrisy of the global answer
In the United States, 81% of primary energy is from fossil fuels. In Europe, fossil fuels account for 76% of energy consumption (coal, oil and natural gas contribute 11%, 31% and 34%, respectively). Thirty years after acknowledging the problem of anthropogenic global warming and committing to mitigating climate change at the UNFCCC, the level of decarbonization in the global north has remained very low. In July 2022, the European Union (EU) voted to classify the use of natural gas as “green and sustainable” for certain uses. Natural gas 7.5 billion tons of CO . was responsible for 2 (ie, 23% of total CO. 2 major fossil fuels), in 2020. Additionally, in 2022, coal consumption in the US and the European Union is also projected to increase by 3% and 7%, respectively.
These same developed countries argue that green energy is a great business opportunity for developing countries because it has become cheaper. He has used this dubious logic to reject discrimination between developed and developing countries and is lobbying for a ban on funding any fossil fuel projects in some of the poorest countries.
Meeting the energy shortage in the global South using renewable energy alone is a much bigger challenge than the developed countries are facing this winter. Spokesmen for urgent climate action around the world must acknowledge the harsh reality that the Global South has to deal with in times of war or peace.
A base camp for common priorities
At COP27, the global South must place the question of its energy poverty and serious global inequalities in energy access at the center of all discussions. We need to achieve zero hunger, zero malnutrition, zero poverty and universal welfare, while we collectively contribute to ensuring effective climate action. As the strapline for COP27 (“Together for Implementation”) shows, we must work together to ensure that these development goals are not side-line, as they were at COP26, over three decades. The future in pursuit of hollow declarations of net-zero goals. The leadership of a developing country in COP27 can ensure effective discussions based on common but distinct responsibilities and related capabilities, relative responsibilities and sharing of mitigation and adaptation burdens while dealing with losses and damages.
Tejal Kanitkar is Associate Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. Ankita Ranjan is a Research Scholar at National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru