Southeast Asia is changing into more and more depending on fossil fuels, warns report

World Courant

ASEAN’s 10 members met all the improve in electrical energy demand within the area final yr utilizing fossil fuels, the report stated.

Southeast Asia dangers rising its dependence on fossil fuels because the nation tries to satisfy rising demand for electrical energy, an environmental assume tank has warned.

The ten international locations of the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met all the area’s 3.6 p.c improve in electrical energy demand final yr by fossil fuels, U.Okay.-based assume tank Ember stated in a Tuesday assertion. launched report.

ASEAN’s share of renewable power era, in the meantime, has fallen to 26 p.c, in comparison with 28 p.c in 2022, amid a decline in hydropower manufacturing attributable to droughts and different excessive occasions, the report stated.

CO2 emissions elevated by 6.6 p.c final yr, which quantities to an extra 44 million tons of CO2 within the ambiance, in accordance with the report.

The most important coal polluters embrace Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines, whereas Singapore and Thailand’s emissions primarily come from pure gasoline, in accordance with the report.

Ember stated the area’s sluggish power transition means it’s lacking out on the advantages of renewables, together with the falling prices of photo voltaic and wind energy, which at the moment are cheaper than fossil fuels.

“If the transition continues at this tempo, ASEAN dangers changing into extra depending on fossil fuels, lacking alternatives provided by rising clear power applied sciences and economies, and failing to satisfy local weather targets,” the assume tank stated in its report .

“In the meantime, demand for electrical energy continues to develop quickly, making it extra necessary than ever to satisfy this demand with clear power.”

Ember stated two of essentially the most promising long-term options are photo voltaic and wind energy, as hydropower faces rising reliability points attributable to droughts and altering rainfall patterns.

The report got here because the Worldwide Vitality Company (IEA) warned on Tuesday that Southeast Asia would want to take a position $190 billion – or 5 occasions the present funding charge – to achieve its local weather targets by 2035.

Even with clear power sources anticipated to satisfy greater than a 3rd of power demand development, the area continues to be on observe to extend CO2 emissions by 35 p.c between now and 2050, the Paris-based intergovernmental group stated in a report.

In line with the IEA report, electrical energy demand in Southeast Asia will develop by 4 p.c yearly.

“Clear power applied sciences will not be increasing quick sufficient and continued excessive dependence on fossil gasoline imports leaves international locations extremely uncovered to future dangers,” stated IEA Govt Director Fatih Birol.

Courtney Weatherby, deputy director of the Stimson Middle’s Southeast Asia Program, stated renewable power sources equivalent to photo voltaic have nice potential, however many institutional obstacles nonetheless stand in the way in which.

Many ASEAN international locations try to modernize and develop their energy era capability on the similar time, resulting in conflicting priorities, Weatherby stated, whereas renewables nonetheless face points equivalent to storage, grid administration and the shortcoming to supply energy on demand throughout peak hours.

“Most international locations in ASEAN have a comparatively low place to begin for photo voltaic and wind power deployment and which means even fast enlargement won’t result in a full transition in a well timed method,” Weatherby informed Al Jazeera.

“Extra importantly, the mandate for power corporations is to make sure that the ability provide is steady and dependable to each assure entry to energy for shoppers and likewise assist continued financial growth by attracting funding, usually in manufacturing,” she added.

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