what the clean energy revolution means for yemen
TRANSCRIPT
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CleanEnergyToday
Ageneralthemefor2017hasbeencleanandrenewableenergy.Traditional
fossilfuelsaremakingamajorshift. Forbesrecentlywrote abouttheclean
energyrevolutionsaying, "Drivenbyitsemissions-reductionpotential,
electricityconsumptionwillgrowtwiceasmuchastotalenergydemand,
whichisforecasttorisebyupto70%inthenext25yearsaccordingtothe
InternationalEnergyAgency(IEA)."
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WhenitBegan
Thepushtowardscleanerenergybeganin2016whenmultiplecountries
agreedtomakeamajorshifttowardreducinggreenhousegasemissions.
Theoilrichmiddleeasthashistoricallyviewedenergyresourcesasapublic
good.However,overtimecountriesthroughoutthemiddleeast,including
Yemenhasproventhatalotofmoneyisbeingdishedouttotheseenergy
services.
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WhenitBegan
A2016articlepublishedbytheWorldEconomicForum highlightedthe
effortsof196countrieslimitingglobaltemperatures.
“CountriesintheMiddleEastandNorthAfricaregionarewillingtodotheir
sharetomitigateclimatechange,asdemonstratedbytheirrespective
IntendedNationallyDeterminedContributions. Moroccoforoneindicated
itsinteresttoincreasetheshareofrenewablesto52%by2030,whichis
remarkablegiventherecentdependencyonfossilfuelsforpower
generation. Itisclearthatenergyexportersareinterestedtomaintaintheir
roleofglobalenergysupplier,andhaveastakeintheglobalshifttowards
sustainableenergy.”
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RecentEfforts
SaudiArabiaisalready“leaving”oilbehind.“Asfarasoilprices,andoil,Ihaveleftthat
behind”,said SaudioilministerAlial-Naimi, wholedthecountry’soilsectorfor21years.
“Now,I’mmuchmoreinterestedinsolarenergy,makingsolarpanels”,headded.
SpeakingonJanuary20thattheWorldEconomicForuminDavos,Switzerland,Saudi
EnergyMinisterKhaledalFalih suggestedthatSaudiArabiacouldbecomea“major
exporter”ofrenewableenergy,saying, “solarthatisproducedinSaudiArabiacanbe
exportedallthewaytoEuropethroughanetwork”.
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WhatitMeansforYemen
Crudeoil,coffee,driedandsaltedfish,andliquefiednaturalgaswere
Yemen’smainexportsin2014.Flashforwardtonowandthecountryhas
ultimatelyhaltedexports.Solar,wind,andthermalenergyareallcheap
optionsthatcouldvastlyhelpYemen.
Affordableandcleanenergyisoneofthe17goalsforthe UnitedNations
DevelopmentProgramme. “Between1990and2010,thenumberofpeople
withaccesstoelectricityhasincreasedby1.7billion,andastheglobal
populationcontinuestorisesowillthedemandforcheapenergy.”
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WhatitMeansforYemen
ThecleanenergyrevolutionisagoodthingforYemen.For
countrieslikeYemen,itisveryimportantthatenergysourcesare
diversified.TheUNDPsays,“Decentralizedenergysystemscan
helplimittheriskstotheenergysector,suchasthoserelatedto
disasters. “
CleanenergyinYemencouldreducepoverty,helpwithsocial
progressandeconomicgrowth.