Emissions Trading and Poverty Alleviation - The Role of Clean Technologies

By Norbert Nziramasanga

Clean energy technology offers a key to sustainable development in Southern Africa. Clean technology comes in various forms that include renewable energy technologies, energy efficient technologies and soft technology for design and construction of clean technologies.

Most Southern African countries are lagging behind in terms of technology development and their communities are becoming more exposed to the ravages of climate change. Successful implementation of clean energy technologies can alleviate this problem, but several barriers have to be addressed in the process.

Climate change is expected to cause a rise in the average temperature and a reduction in the levels of precipitation in Southern Africa. The impact of climate change will result in food production requiring the use of irrigation as a way of improving food security. This will in turn demand that rural communities have access to modern energy and clean technologies. If the current technology design and implementation criterion as applied in the region is carried forward to implementing the climate change adaptation measures there will be a loss in the potential clean energy that can be produced in the region. The reason is the criteria for technology development that puts emphasis on simplicity of operation and maintenance as opposed to low cost and efficiency in energy use. Rural and urban poor communities can be said to hold a carbon "stock" in terms of emissions avoided by their limited levels of energy use. If this stock is converted to carbon certificates there would be significant revenue generated that can be used to develop clean energy supply systems for poor communities. In this case clean energy will include electrification from grid electricity since rural communities are exposed to the threat of indoor pollution caused by use of fuel wood. Once poor communities are provided with the means to create wealth they can then be responsible for their activities in terms of environment protection including climate change mitigation. This same deduction applies to developing countries in general. Carbon intensity of production is a good measure for relative efficiency and matching energy intensity of production implies matching the responsibility to mitigate climate change. At present, Southern Africa has very poor energy intensity of production with the potential to reduce energy intensity by 30 per cent to 60 per cent. Consideration of reducing energy intensity of production as a way of improving efficiency helps in determining the time when Southern Africa can take responsibility for mitigating climate change while at the same time protecting it’s communities from the impacts of climate change.

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