ambuj technology cooperation in the greenhouse a sagar 28 08 09

Technology cooperation in the greenhouse?

Ambuj SagarVipula and Mahesh Chaturvedi Professor of Policy

StudiesIndian Institute of Technology Delhi

South Asian Media Briefing Workshop on Climate Change

Center for Science and EnvironmentAugust 28, 2009

Tech coop in the greenhouse

Total Primary Energy Supply, Non-Annex-I countries

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Year

Tot

al P

rim

ary

En

ergy

Su

pp

ly (

mto

e)

Other renewables

Combustiblerenewables and wasteHydro

Nuclear

Natural Gas

Petroleum and related

Coal and related


Non-Annex-I countries accounted for almost 50% of the world’s total primary energy supply (TPES) (with about 80% of the world’s population).

• Non-Annex-I countries rely heavily on fossil fuels (especially coal and petroleum) and this dependence is increasing (Coal: China 73% of TPES*; India: 55%)

• Poorer countries generally have less efficient energy economies and systems.

• Non-Annex-I countries still obtain almost 18% of their energy supply from combustible renewables and biomass (China: ~ 12%; India: ~ 30%).


Key energy indicators

Source: IEA

Tech Coop in the greenhouse

Source: IEA


Improved, adequate, and affordable energy services are necessary for meeting the Millennium Development Goals:

• Growth and Income Poverty Reduction (MDG Target 1)(income generation opportunities, reduced costs of energy services)

• Hunger (MDG Target 2) (improved agricultural practices, cooking)

• Education (MDG Target 3) (lighting, availability of time)

• Gender Equality (MDG Target 4)(gathering fuelwood, exposure to pollution)


Improved and adequate energy services are necessary for meeting the MDGs (contd):

• Health (MDG Targets 5–8)(morbidity and mortality from indoor air pollution; health care infrastructure; provision of health information)

• Environmental Sustainability (MDG Target 9)(deforestation, local and global air pollution, water pollution)

• Water Supply and Sanitation (MDG Target 10)

Energy Access and Human Development

Source: UNDP

Household cooking: impacts

-- Burden of fuel collection falls mainly upon women and children; up to 3–4 hours gathering fuel resources every day

-- Indoor air pollution: estimated annual excess mortality about 1.6 million worldwide; WHO estimates that indoor air pollution from biomass sixth-largest health risk factor in developing countries, responsible for about 38 million disability-adjusted lost years

-- Greater cost for the same amount of useful energy services, given inefficient energy-conversion devices

-- Products of incomplete combustion (PICs) from traditional biomass burning have significant global warming implications

Energy Access and Human Development


The energy challenges facing developing countries can broadly be categorized into three inter-related areas:

• Expansion of affordable energy supply and services (‘adequacy’)• Improving the efficiency of conversion of energy supply into energy services (‘efficiency’)• Replacing traditional energy technologies by modern, clean energy technologies (‘modernity’)

How to meet these challenges while advancing the climate change AND sustainable development agendas?


Broad categorization of technology needs in developing countries pertain to:

• Accelerating transfer of commercial and emerging technologies (economics, other barriers)• Adaptation of technologies to local conditions, e.g., building technologies • Development and diffusion of technologies for “unmet” needs, e.g., improved cookstoves, small-scale biomass gasifiers, solar lanterns, etc.• Long-term technology needs


1. Financial and other technical assistance for transferable technologies:

• Necessary for a technological transition in non-Annex-I countries

• Allocation of financial assistance among countries?Graduated financial assistance that depends on per-capita GDP of recipient country?

• Knowledge sharing for enhancing deployment, where non-economic barriers hinder the deployment of technologies.

Access to IPRs vs. access to technologies at economically acceptable terms?


2. Accelerate technology deployment in Annex I countries: Targeted policies aimed at key technologies (e.g., IGCC) need to be implemented sooner rather than later to reduce costs and technical risks

3. Technical cooperation for adaptation of technologies and development of technologies for “unmet” needs:Must build local capacity so that this can be done on a sustained basis, since climate change long-term problem

But must go beyond just climate change – ensure that sustainable development is not sidelined


Joint energy innovation:

Cooperative technical program that is driven by technology needs of developing countries rather than the technology agenda of industrialized countries.

» Need technology innovation that is shaped by local needs and rooted in local context to meet energy AND climate challenges

»Need energy-technology development & diffusion capacity in developing countries in order to meet these challenges effectively and efficiently

=> Energy Innovation Centers (EICs)

Range of EIC activities:

• State-of-art engineering product development• Refinement and adaptation of commercial technologies to meet

local conditions• Joint applied R&D on emerging technologies• Development of technologies and products to advance provision of

energy services for energy poor and rural areas

• Development of appropriate business models• Exploration and development of innovative delivery models to

overcome lack of ‘traditional markets’• Training entrepreneurs, incubating enterprises• Capacity building: create local capability in technical and business

skills, facilitating networks

• Policy & market research/analysis: support regulatory and policy development
