Global Economies pitch in with $350 Million Climate REDI Initiative

At United Nations’ Summit on climate change at Copenhagen, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) Secretary Steven Chu unveiled Climate REDI - the Climate Renewables and Efficiency Deployment Initiative.

Climate REDI is a $350-million investment by major economies of the world towards increasing efficiencies in home appliances and developing renewable energy sources specifically wind and solar energy in developing world. The initiative will fund the deployment of “affordable home systems and LED lanterns to those without access to electricity,” according to a program fact sheet.

Reported Scientific American that Jairam Ramesh, Minister of Environment, India, welcomed the effort and called for his country to be one of the recipients. Such technology transfers with specific funding is what developing world is looking at as part of any Copenhagen agreement.

Writes Scientific American:

The 1970s, refrigerators in the U.S. have swelled from 18 cubic feet to 22 cubic feet. But, at the same time, the energy consumption of such gargantuan coolers has dropped by 75 percent, down to roughly 40 watts, saving countless tons of coal from being burned. And a five-year global program that reached all the refrigerators in the world with similar efficiency improvements might save 1.1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide over that span, a significant contribution to combating climate change.

And that's exactly what U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) Secretary Steven Chu unveiled here Monday at the United Nations' summit on climate change: the Climate Renewables and Efficiency Deployment Initiative (Climate REDI)—a $350-million investment by major economies, including $85 million from the U.S., to bring everything from efficient refrigerators to solar lanterns to the developing world.

"The energy savings from refrigerators is greater than all U.S. renewable energy generation—all the wind, solar thermal and solar photovoltaics —just the refrigerators," Chu said in a speech announcing the initiative, noting the refrigerators also cost less. "Energy efficiency is truly a case where you can have your cake and eat it too. [But] it was driven by standards; it didn't happen on its own."

In addition to coordinating global standards for efficient appliances, Climate REDI will also invest in further developing renewable energy sources—such as wind and solar power—in the developing world. The initiative will fund the deployment of "affordable home systems and LED lanterns to those without access to electricity," according to a program fact sheet.

"We want to help turn the lights on where people live but also in a way that helps solve climate change," Chu said, referring to the at least 1 billion people who lack access to electricity globally.

Jairam Ramesh, India's minister of the environment, welcomed the effort and called for his country to be one of the recipients. But he also noted that "Indian companies have been pioneers in low-cost pharmaceuticals now being widely used in Africa. I see no reason why Indian companies in the next five or six years with the help of American counterparts cannot emerge as world leaders in renewable energy technology.

Photo: U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) Secretary Steven Chu.

INTERVIEW: BUSINESS FIGHTS POVERTY

On the eve of the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, the Business Innovation to Fight Climate Change and Poverty focussed on business innovations for the global South that help mitigate climate change and its impact on the poor. What types of innovative models are emerging? How can these be brought to scale? What is the role of governments and donors to encourage innovation?

The event was sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Growing Inclusive Markets initiative (GIM), and co-hosted by Business Fights Poverty, the Overseas Development Institute, the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Interview of Jeroen Blum, Deputy Director, Shell Foundation who take part in the panel discussion.

Wins in Black Carbon may give India a big Climate windfall?

So says Jeremy Carl in a well articulated piece on how there is a big windfall for India in health of the Himalayas and women and children by managing its smoke in the kitchen better. Says Jeremy, a research fellow at Penn University, “black carbon stays in the atmosphere for weeks as opposed to decades like CO2, “controlling it could be the fastest way to slow down global warming in the near future.” The article also states that India has a great opportunity in this area. Along with China, India is the world’s largest emitter of black carbon and the greatest reduction solution for black carbon emissions remains in cooking stoves. This will also reap a domestic benefit as it will reduce the problem of indoor and local air pollution caused from traditional cooking stoves & fuels that contributes to premature deaths of hundreds and thousands of Indians each year.”

Black carbon is second only to Carbon Dioxide as a cause of climate change – accounting for one fifth of ‘observed global warming.’

Clearly, there is much India can do in Copenhagen beyond its well established position on climate change, one that will take care of both lives and the depressing sight of fast melting glaciers. As Jeremy notes, “There is no regime currently in place to deal with black carbon internationally, but by getting out in front of this issue, India can show the international climate change community that it is serious about contributing solutions rather than just rhetoric. “

However, what is probably a good to remember is that addressing the issue of smoke in the kitchen is an important end in itself and should not necessarily be subject to global trade-offs on climate change, as Jeremy makes a point of, given the large number of deaths we are talking about.