By Ren Kejia
The transition to a low carbon future is a global reality that is dependent on many factors such as renewable energy cost reductions and commitments towards international climate agreements, said panellists at session two of the Singapore Energy Summit.
To achieve an effective transition, a broad multi-sectoral approach is essential, said Sakari Oksanen, Deputy Director-General, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). He added that other sectors besides electricity, such as buildings, transport and industry would require “very determined government action” to facilitate deployment of low carbon technologies.
Businesses play an important role as well. Peter Schwartz, Senior Vice President, Global Government Relations and Strategic Planning at Salesforce.com, said that businesses have key roles in enabling low carbon technologies, communicating information to the public and encouraging facilitative government policies.
Director General of the World Nuclear Association, Agneta Rising, said that “Nuclear is a key pillar if we are going to solve the puzzle of a low carbon future”. Echoing his views, Masakazu Toyoda, Chairman & CEO of the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ) added the importance of providing greater information to improve public understanding on nuclear energy, including aspects such as nuclear safety, in order to facilitate nuclear adoption and public acceptance.
Datuk Ir. Ahmad Fauzi bin Hasan, CEO of the Energy Commission of Malaysia emphasised that governments needed to put in place policies to drive the clean energy agenda; for example, by enabling good energy financing mechanisms the cost of clean energy can be further reduced. He stressed that “without the right enabling environment in terms of policies, and legislation if necessary, things won’t move.”