Regional Workshop on Opportunities and Priorities for Low Carbon Green Growth in Asia

A four-day workshop on Opportunities and Priorities for Low Carbon Green Growth was held at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand from 15 to 18 September 2009. It looked at renewable energy and energy efficiency opportunities available to emerging economies as a way to formulate low carbon green growth strategies by addressing technology transfer issues and financing options.

The workshop was organized in collaboration with Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Thailand Environment Institute (TEI), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), French Development Agency (AFD) and Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren).

Representatives from governments, mostly senior officials attached to energy and finance and other relevant ministries from large carbon emitting economies of the Asia-Pacific as well as representatives from universities, research institute and private sector attended the workshop.

The workshop consisted of a series of thematic sessions covering the following topics and issues.

• Concepts of low carbon green growth;
• Innovations in green energy supply;
• Demand side energy efficiency solutions;
• Managing the technology for low carbon green growth;
• Resource mobilization for low carbon green growth;
• Demonstrating the benefits of resource efficiency practices; and
• Breakout group discussions on applicable low carbon strategies

The share of global carbon emissions from the Asia-Pacific is rising rapidly - making it main driver of global climate changes. Climate change and environmental impacts threaten considerable social and economic progress achieved in recent years. Decoupling economic growth from further increase in green house gas emissions need to be a new developmental program for Asia. New energy policies and international support mechanisms are helping Asia to achieve low carbon growth.

For Green House Gas emissions to be reduced in a drastic way, Asian economies have to significantly reduce fossil fuel use. Countries and regions around Asia are reducing their carbon foot print by accelerating investments in renewable energy supply. For example, some countries have mandated the purchase of renewable energy through institutionalization of renewable portfolio standards (RPS), giving renewable energy projects higher-than-market returns. Integration of such policy innovations into national growth strategies will accelerate the uptake of green energy such as biomass, micro hydro, wind and solar.

Demand side energy management is a good example of a no-regret strategy for a low carbon economy. Improving energy efficiency implies using less energy to achieve the same amount of production and services. Energy efficiency approaches that integrate process level environmental system and product labeling systems can help achieve near term goal of reducing emissions while adding to bottom line profits of manufacturers and service providers.

Wider use of low carbon and pollution prevention technologies to adapt to and prevent climate change can form an important part of low carbon green growth strategy. National innovation systems can play an important role to promote indigenous technologies. Although technology transfer occurs at different levels, appropriation, creating correct market conditions and enabling intellectual property regimes (IPR) help it to flourish.

The most common obstacle to the technology transfer is the lack of funding. Because renewable energy and some energy efficiency improvements offer cost benefits in the long term rather than the short term, low carbon approaches are often bypassed in favor of more carbon intensive programs. In response to this situation, a creative suit of financial arrangements and tools are designed both nationally and internationally. Carbon markets and Clean Development Mechanisms (CDMs) help to generate capital for low carbon investment based on public private partnerships. CDM has achieved success in securing the financing and transfer of technologies by creating a global trading market for certified emission reductions. Putting a price on carbon through a carbon emission tax has the potential to generate investment in green technologies.

Despite widespread experimentation and endorsement, the actual implementation of Low Carbon Green Growth pathways such as renewable energy supply and energy efficiency improvements are confined to few pioneering actions, some of them come in the form of stimulus packages. New initiatives are also subject to various socio-political compulsions facing the governments.

Event though, momentum has been building for low carbon green growth, it is unclear how the line agencies can engage more actively. New policy instruments that favor low carbon green growth should have concrete objectives: generation of green jobs, national policies for energy conservation, promulgating energy efficiency standards, enhanced financing for eco-solutions, and more climate friendly operation at local level. Fostering inter-ministerial cooperation within the countries and those that generate synergies between regional and international actions is needed.

See the summary of proceedings.