The cost of traditional energy is rising. We look at our monthly electricity bill, our gas bill, at the receipts at the pump after will fill up our cars, and it’s there to see – and this is all in first-world countries, where we have it relatively easy. Traditional sources of energy are even more unattainable in developing countries; approximately three billion people (just under half the world’s population) don’t have access to reliable energy.
Of course, the more birds hit with one stone, the better – to that end, the Norwegian government is launching a program called Energy+ to address not only energy poverty, but also climate change. The program is designed to finance access to renewable energy.
The initiative is well-timed. UN negotiations regarding climate finance for developing countries is going nowhere, and without an agreement on how to pay for something, that something is a non-issue. With Norway’s program, developing countries can move straight into clean, renewable energy without getting hung up on finite fossil fuels.
Rasmus Hansson, CEO of WWF-Norway, said: “Ending energy poverty should be part of the solution to climate change, not part of the problem. WWF urges Norway, and other countries, to keep their focus on renewables, the energy of the future – not on the dirty fossil fuels of the past.”
Samantha Smith, leader for WWF’s global climate and energy work, said “The science is certain – we have no time to lose in switching to clean, safe and renewable energy. Norway’s leadership is critical when the UN climate negotiations so far have failed to deliver the money we need for this switch.”
Energy+ is scheduled for discussion at a high-level conference attended by the UN Secretary General regarding renewable fuel, fossil fuel, and the lack of energy availability to half the world population.
Source: WWF Global
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