While the world has halved the number of people disconnected from electricity in the last decade, energy poverty remains a pressing issue in the advancement of energy transition. Grace Foo reports
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about disruptions not only to the healthcare industry but also in trade, causing breakdowns in supply chains, shifting national priorities and falling incomes for the world's poorest.
In her opening remarks, Anne Korin, Co-Director, Institute for the Analysis of Global Security (IAGS), highlighted that almost one-third of the global population, mostly in Africa and developing Asia, do not have access to electricity due to the limited infrastructure available.
Demonstrating how climate change can stem from simple daily routines, Permies.com Founder Paul Wheaton tapped on the simple example of how indoor cooking tends to result in poor air quality that can then cause health issues such as pneumonia and lung diseases.
To counter such problems, Mr Wheaton and Methanol Institute Chief Representative Kai Zhao from China both presented innovative solutions that are sustainable, replicable and simple.
With a strong reduction in pollutants and a reversal of desertification, Mr Wheaton believed that the rocket mass stove could be one of the most sustainable solutions for both developed and developing countries. While conventional wood stoves emit high amounts of smoke with low efficiency, the rocket mass heater would insulate the fire and redirect the heat to eliminate unnecessary smoke and pollutants in the air.
Similarly, Mr Zhao shared that chemicals such as methanol fuel can be studied to expand their use beyond conventional maritime and transportation industries into common thermal applications such as cookstoves and agriculture products. This could reduce the concentration of CO2, while ensuring the safety of the fuel production, he said.
Dr Gal Luft, Co-director IAGS and Professor at Ostim Technical University shed light on how the conversation of energy poverty is changing as it is no longer an issue for developing countries, but for developed countries, as well.
While energy concerns differ between these two groups—with developing nations still addressing issues over access to heating and cooling technologies while developed countries try to solve the rise in energy prices and slowing economic conditions—Dr Luft urged relevant stakeholders to “think more broadly about energy poverty beyond the parameters that we have been used to”.
Balancing between energy security and sustainability
Dr Liu Qiang, Co-chair and Secretary-General, Global Forum on Energy Security, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, reminded the panel that the more concentrated and interconnected cities are, the more sophisticated the energy systems will be required.
Dr Liu also cautioned about the impact of cybersecurity risks. But his main message was that there is a need to balance between energy security initiatives and environmental sustainability.
Dr Michael Stanley, Lead (Extractives), World Bank Group, noted that Singapore, being a city that is liveable and energy efficient, is a good example where simple ideas can also be explored and brought to scale.
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