Unit 7 - The Energy-Poverty-Climate Nexus

Question 1

The energy and poverty link

Answer 1

No meeting basic needs
Low socioeconomic well-being
Adverse health impacts
Low economic activity
Educational opportunities are not met (women and girls)

Question 2

The CC and poverty link

Answer 2

• high vulnerability
• limited resources to adapt to climate impacts
• exacerbates existing risks (water stress, droughts, food security, flooding etc)

Question 3

Marginal abatement cost curve calculation (definition and conclusion)
(Casillas & Kammen, 2010)-Nicaragua

Answer 3

a method to calculate the annual carbon abatement potential for technological interventions, mostly in the field of EE and low carbon energy, and the cost of mitigation.

Every $ spend on the transition to more efficient low-carbon energy systems in rural areas has teh potential to produce greater HD, savings and carbon mitigation returns than in more industrialized areas.

Question 4

Aims of SE4All

Answer 4

1. Reduce global energy intensity by 40%
2. Increase share of RE in global primary energy supply to 30%
3. Provide modern energy access to everyone worldwide by 2030

Question 5

Political-economy-related reasons why the alleviation of energy poverty is slow and energy access stagnates:

Answer 5

1. No interest of (private) untilities to extand the grid and infra - risky investments, low returns, low consumption, electricity theft, high O&M
2. Limited budget in public sector - depend on election outcomes / public voting
3. Historacally greater support for urban areas. Rural requires more decentralized solutions and not grid extension.
4. Lack of access to technology
5. Other: limited financial ability, electrification at village level (not hh), expensive connection fees & cultural issues.
6. Lengthly planning approvals, nontransparant and complicated processes
7. Fossil fuel subsidies (negative carbon prices)

Question 6

Percentage of emissions by developed countries

Number of countries contributing only 1%

Answer 6

75%

50 LDC’s caused only 1% of the emissions leading to CC

Question 7

Biggest CO2 emitters worldwide in absolute terms

Answer 7

1. China
2. USA
3. Eurozone
4. India

Question 8

Emissions per capita in India, China and US and Europe

Answer 8

India - 1.7 tCO2/capita/year (2010)
China - 5.8
USA - 17.3
Europe - 7

Question 9

What is climate justice?

Answer 9

A call for social justice in relation to CC

Equity, morality, ethics

Question 10

What are the two forms of climate justice

Answer 10

1. Procedural social justice - the position of people and groups in climate and energy processes and decision-making.
2. Distributive social justice - distribution of costs and benefits of energy and CC among people and groups. Relates to peoples entitlements.

Question 11

Reasons why energy poverty continues

Answer 11

1. Population growth
2. Inequitable distribution of wealth and resources
3. Underfunded utilities (structural problem)
4. Outdated infra (structural problem)
5. Disperse nature of people living in energy poverty
6. Huge sum of funding needed
7. Natural disasters
8. War/violent conflict/political instability, corruption

Question 12

What is carbon lock in?

Answer 12

A form of inertia created by fossil fuel energy systems that results in investments, infrastructure and emission trajectories being locked into high carbon pathways for decades and thereby preventing a transition to climate-friendly low carbon technologies.

Or simpler:
Investments and infra are locked into high carbon development trajectories for decades.

Question 13

What is low carbon development?

Answer 13

A development model that is based on climate-friendly low carbon energy, follows principles of SD, makes a contribution to avoiding dangerous CC and adopts patterns of low carbon consumption and production.

• Switching from fossil fuels to low carbon energy
• Promoting low carbon technology innovation and business models
• Protecting and promoting natural carbon sinks such as forests and wetlands
• Formulating policies that promote low carbon practices and behaviours.

Ideally is socially just and environmentally sustainable.

Question 14

What is low carbon climate-resilient development?

Answer 14

A development model that combines CC adaptation, mitigation and development. It aims to deliver lower emissions development that is resilient to current and future climatic impacts. It can be defined as “development that minimises the harm caused by climate impacts, while maximizing the many HD opportunities presented by low emissions, more resilient, future”.

Question 15

Example benefits of low carbon development for the poor:

Answer 15

• access to modern energy
• additional income generation opportunities
• increased energy security
• social benefits as health (IAP), education
• green job creation
• access to low carbon technology and innovation
• avoid carbon lock in
• creating political support for CC

Question 16

Technological leapfrogging

Answer 16

Developing countries can “leap” over polluting technologies and move directly to less polluting, more advanced technologies and economic development.

Question 17

Low carbon development can offer two opportunities;

Answer 17

1. Overcome energy poverty by switching from traditional biomass to modern fuels
2. To reduce emissions by choosing RE rather than fossil fuels.

Question 18

Some radical ideas about low carbon development and CC

Answer 18

• distributing resources more equally
• owning natural resources collectively and managing them co-operatively&raquo_space; improved welfare, better quality of life and greater democratic control of production and (renewable) sources
• prosperity without growth or prosperity within the environmental limits of our planet : de-growth&raquo_space;> taxing the rich and give it to the poorer countries.

Question 19

3 cycles of development, mitigation and adaptation:

Answer 19

M+D = Low carbon development
D+A = climate resilient development
A+M = co-benefits
M+D+A = climate compatible development