Business
World Leaders Negotiate on Energy Access
As world leaders enter into final negotiations ahead of the Copenhagen climate talks, almost a quarter of the global population 1.5 billion people – live without electricity, 80 per cent of them in the least developed countries (LDCs) of South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
The release came from a new United Nations report that shines alight on the plight of the three billion people without access to modern energy services.
The report entitled the Energy Access situation in Developing Countries, a Review following on the least Developed Countries and sub-Saharan Africa was produced by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and with support from the International Energy Agency (IEA).
“Almost half of humanity is completely disconnected from the debate on how to drive human progress with less emission and greener energy because their reality is much more basic than that: they carry heavy loads of water and food on their backs because they don’t have transport, they cook over wood fires that damage their health, not with electricity, gas or oil”, said Olarkyorven, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of Development Policy at UNNDP.
We must ensure that the energy needs of these people are central to a new climate agreement”, he said. According to the Report to halve the proportion of people living in poverty by 2015 – the first of eight, internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – 1.2 billion more people will need access to electricity and two billion more people will need access to modern fuels like natural gas or Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), also called propane.
Two million people die every day from cases associated with exposure to smoke from cooking with biomass and coal and 99 per cent of those deaths occur in developing countries.
In LDCs and Sub-Saharan Africa, half of all deaths from pneumonia in children under five years, chronic lung disease and lung cancer in adults are attributed to the use of solid fuel, compared with 38 per cent in developing countries overall.
“Expanding energy access is essential to tackle global purity. It needs to happen at the lowest cost and in the cleanest and most sustainable way possible to help developing countries establish a low-carbon route to development”, said Mr. Kjorven.
The IEA UNDP and WHO have formed forces to tackle energy poverty across the developing world. The recently launched IEA world Energy outlook 2009 seeks to add momentum to the upcoming Copenhagen talks around the issue of energy, detailing practical steps needed for a sustainable energy future as part of a global climate deal.
“The time has come to make hard choices needed to combat climate change and enhance global energy security, and at the same time we should not forget 1.5 billion people who have no access to electricity in the developing world”, said Dr. Faith Burol, Chief Economist of IEA. “The world Energy Outlook 2009 demonstrates that containing climate change is possible but will require a profound transformation of the global energy system. I hope to see a strong signal sent from Copenhagen to the energy sector to kick-off this transformation”, she said.
“Payment of tuition fees for undergraduate/postgraduate studies shall be subject to a maximum limit of $25,000.00 per semester,” the Manual states.
The expansion of international card limits also reflects growing confidence among lenders that foreign exchange liquidity has improved enough to support retail dollar transactions.
Speaking recently at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum in Lagos, CBN Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN said buying and selling activities now increasingly determine outcomes in the foreign exchange market, unlike in the past when market participants relied heavily on routine Central Bank interventions.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves have risen from just over $3 billion at the start of the reform programme to more than $40 billion, while gross reserves have climbed to about $52 billion, providing stronger confidence for investors and enabling the Central Bank to reserve interventions for periods of market stress rather than day-to-day liquidity management.
The restoration and expansion of international naira card spending limits are increasingly being seen as one of the clearest signs that the benefits of the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms are beginning to reach households, students and businesses making legitimate cross-border payments.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Dr Angela Wilkinson, disclosed this in a statement, last Thursday.
“Nigeria’s participation comes at a pivotal time as the country seeks to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, accelerate gas development and mobilise the capital required for industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
“WEC Nigeria will convene leaders from across the energy ecosystem, apply the WEC’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to Nigeria’s unique context, and promote evidence-based dialogue, practical collaboration and informed policymaking.
“It will also ensure that Nigerian and broader African perspectives contribute meaningfully to global energy conversations,” she said.
Wilkinson expressed confidence that Nigeria would play a significant leadership role at the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027 and beyond.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WEC Nigeria, Isa, as describing the country’s participation as an opportunity to deepen national and African leadership within the global energy community through practical solutions tailored to regional development priorities.
He said the platform would promote collaboration across sectors and attract sustainable investments into Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of WEC Nigeria, Wunti, was quoted in the statement as saying that the council would connect leadership, evidence and investment to build a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This system will be capable of driving economic growth and shared prosperity.”
According to him, the platform will also connect Nigerian institutions and businesses with international knowledge, technology, partnerships and investment opportunities through the World Energy Council’s global network.
Recall that WEC, founded in 1923, is the world’s oldest independent and impartial community of energy leaders and practitioners, advancing informed, collaborative and practical action across the global energy system.