Transcript norwegian national conference of energy, environment

NORWEGIAN NATIONAL
CONFERENCE OF ENERGY,
ENVIRONMENT AND INDUSTRY.
2008/08/05
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: SENZENI
ZOKWANA: ICEM PRESIDENT.
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THE FUTURE OF FOSSIL ENERGY
AS A FACTOR OF PRODUCTION –
TOWARDS AN EQUITABLE AND
CARBON NEUTRAL WORLD.
• FOSSILS FUELS IN A CARBON
NEUTRAL WORLD.
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INTRODUCTION
• Climate Change - the biggest challenge of our
time.
• Humanity - for the first time in its history is
starring down the abyss of human extinction.
• Humanity is on the edge of the abyss and
needs to pull back .
• Climate change is an urgent problem requiring
global action to reduce emissions of carbon
dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases
(GHGs).
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Consequences of unmitigated
climate change.
The Stern Review Report.
• climate change may well become a
disaster not only for bio – diversity, Polar
Regions, and the vulnerable poor like
those in Sub – Sahara Africa, but for the
global economy itself.
• It is not a threat to the environment, but to
civilisation itself.
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CALL FOR ACTION
• Confronting climate change depends, in many
ways, on adopting new and sustainable energy
strategies that can meet growing global energy
needs while allowing for the stabilization of
atmospheric CO2 concentrations at safe levels.
• Support the greenhouse gas reductions targets
set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC
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.
• Keep the global temperature within two
degrees Celsius and reducing gas
emissions by 85 percent by 2050.
• Drastic reduction of our climate footprint.
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CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS
• According to “Kick the Habit”, a UNEP
publication, one of the main GHGS which
humans add to the atmosphere, CO2, is
increasing rapidly.
• Of the 80% of climate gases emitted by human
beings, 57% derives from fossil fuel use.
• Around 1750, about the start of the industrial
revolution in Europe, there were about 280 parts
per million (ppm) of CO2 in the atmosphere,
today it has topped 390 ppm CO2.
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EMISSION BY GAS
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.
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.
• A casual reading of the theme of my
presentation, “fossil fuels’ future in a
carbon neutral world” may therefore,
immediately suggest a contradiction in
terms. The terms “fossils fuels” and
• “carbon neutral world” may seem mutually
exclusive, and may suggest that they
cannot co- exist.
• In fact, quite the contrary, as scientific
research has illustrated.
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.
HOW DE WE ARRIVE AT A
CARBON NEUTRAL WORLD
WHEN MUCH OF THE WORLD
STILL DEPEND ON FOSSIL
FUELS AS A FACTOR OF
PRODUCTION.
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DEFINITION OF TERMS
• carbon neutral, or carbon neutrality,
refers to neutral (meaning zero) total
carbon release, brought about by
balancing the amount of carbon released
with the amount sequestered or offset.
• Carbon Neutrality is a means towards
Climate Neutrality – a state of net – zero
impact, thus creating a climate neutral
global economy .
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.
• A carbon neutral world is therefore not made
possible only by fossils free, renewable energy
options, but including such options as part of an
energy mix between renewable and non
renewable energy options.
• Even with very strong expansion of the use of
renewable energy and other low – carbon
energy sources, fossil fuels could still make up
over half of global energy supply in 2050. Coal
will continue to be important in the energy mix
around the world, including in fast growing
economies.
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.
• Extensive carbon capture and storage will
be necessary to allow the continued use of
fossil fuels without damage to the
atmosphere
• A Carbon – Neutral World is also made
possible through balancing, carbon dioxide
released into the atmosphere from burning
fossil fuels, with renewable energy that
creates a similar amount of useful energy,
so that the carbon emissions are
compensated.
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.
• or alternatively using only renewable energies
that don't produce any carbon dioxide ( a postcarbon economy) .
• The transition to a climate neutral world, ( a post
– carbon society) using only non renewable
energy that does not produce any carbon
dioxide is, for now, a distant dream that is
however within the realm of possibility.
• WE HAVE TO ACT NOW
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.
• Carbon Neutrality also describe the
practice, of carbon offsetting, by paying
others to remove or sequester 100% of the
carbon dioxide emitted from the
atmosphere, for example by planting trees
– or by funding 'carbon projects' that
should lead to the prevention of future
greenhouse gas emissions, or by buying
carbon credits to remove (or 'retire') them
through carbon trading
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.
• This conference is therefore very
important, not only in the context of this
region of South West Norway, a region
which has some of the country’s most
important industrial clusters of energy,
processing, and petro – maritime activities,
but also in the context of the global crisis
posed by climate change.
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• The challenge for developed
. countries such as
Norway, lie in international co – operation and a
commitment to climate mitigating factors as
expressed in international framework
agreements.
• Key elements of such international agreements
are:
•
•
•
•
Emissions trading:
Technology cooperation
Action to reduce deforestation
Adaptation
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.
• Strategic options for climate change mitigation Global cost curve for greenhouse gas
abatement measures
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.
• The costs of taking action are obviously not
evenly distributed across sectors or around the
world, such as the cost of increased energy
efficiencies, changes in demand, adoption of
clean power, heat and transport technologies etc
• The uptake of these strategic options will
depend on a country’s stage of economic and
social development, following the principle of
“common but differentiated responsibilities”.
•
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AN EXAMPLE
• South Africa’s reliance on coal, to generate
electricity makes it one of the dirtier carbon
emitters of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.
• So this conference is very pertinent to our
situation in South Africa.
• South Africa has recently introduced Carbon Tax
as well as a cap-and-trade system that will form
part of the Government’s Climate Change policy.
• The plan proposes to incentives renewable
energy through feed – in tariff as well as set, as
yet undefined, targets for electricity generated
from renewable and nuclear sources within two
decades.
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CONCLUSION.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
• it is the responsibility of both developed and
developing countries, through the principle of
common but differentiated responsibilities, to
mitigate rising GHGs emissions to below 2
degrees celsius.
• A 80 percent reduction by developed countries
by 2050 with a 30 percent reduction by 2020.
• Developing countries on the other hand will
need to cut emissions by 20 percent by 2050,
with emissions rising until 2020.
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.
WE ARE ALL IN THIS
TOGETHER:
AMANDLA.
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