The world's elite arrive on private jets to lecture humanity on cutting carbon emissions every year. Poor countries are being lectured about the dangers of fossil fuels by the rich at the UN climate summit.
Wealthy countries have been looking for new sources of energy since Russia invaded Ukraine. The United Kingdom strongly denounced fossil fuels at the Glasgow climate summit last year, but now plans to keep coal-fired plants open this winter. The EU imported thermal coal from Australia, South Africa and Indonesia. Germany is reopening shuttered coal power plants, Italy is planning to import 40% more gas from northern Africa, and Europe will be able to tap directly into gas from Nigeria. The US is going to Saudi Arabia to get more oil.
At the climate summit in Egypt, the leaders from these countries will make a statement with straight faces that poor countries should avoid fossil fuel exploitation. The world's poor will be encouraged to focus on green energy alternatives such as off- grid solar and wind energy. The case is already being made. The Secretary General of the UN said in a speech that it would be delusional for countries to invest more in gas and oil exploration.
The hypocrisy is truly amazing. The exploitation of fossil fuels made rich countries rich. Poor countries can use fossil fuel exploitation to lift themselves out of poverty, but major development organizations refuse to fund it. Green energy is not able to transform lives.
There is no wind or sun when it is cloudy, night-time or there is no wind. Off-grid solar power can provide a nice solar light, but typically can't even power a family's fridge or oven, let alone provide the power that communities need to run everything from farms to factories.
Almost 90 percent of households given off-grid electricity just want to be connected to the national grid, according to a study. In the first rigorous test on the impact of solar panels on the lives of poor people, it was found that they did not increase savings or work more, but they did get a little bit more electricity.
One of the main energy problems of the world's poor is not addressed by solar panels and wind turbine. 2.5 billion people suffer from indoor air pollution that causes them to burn dirty fuels to cook and keep warm. Solar panels aren't strong enough to power clean stove and heater.
Grid electrification has positive impacts on household income, expenditure, and education. According to a study in Bangladesh, households with electricity experienced a 21 percent average jump in income and a 1.5 percent reduction in poverty each year.
According to the International Energy Agency, more than three-quarters of the world's energy production comes from fossil fuels. Most of their energy is derived from wood and hydro. Solar and wind make up 2% of the total.
Africa is the most renewable country in the world with half of its energy coming from renewable sources. Therenewables are mostly wood, straws, and dung, and they are a testament to how little energy the continent has. The continent doesn't get a lot of energy from solar and wind.
To solve global warming, rich countries need to invest a lot more in research and development of green technologies such as fusion, fission and second- generation biofuels. Their real cost is below fossil fuels, that's the key insight. Everyone will eventually change. It is an insult to tell the poor to live with weak power.
Egypt's finance minister warned that climate policy should not add to the suffering of poor countries and that they should not be punished for being poor. It needs to be heard. Europe needs fossil fuels to grow and prosper. The opportunity should not be taken away from the world's poor.
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