Global energy production and consumption remains the largest source of global greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change at a very rapid rate.
At the beginning of the pandemic, with the vast majority of the world's citizens confined to their homes, with the introduction of telework and the temporary closure of factories, industries and offices, we talked of a clear improvement in air quality and it is true that emissions levels did fall. However, these short-term reductions in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from such closures had very small effects. In fact, they have not affected the data that is available for the nearly two and a half years of the pandemic. The reason is that this reduction in emissions has been absolutely cyclical, it has not led to deep human, business and institutional changes, which would have allowed us to move towards new energy policies. That is where we would have seen long-term changes. However, the urgent rescue packages have focused on preserving liquidity, solvency and livelihoods, but their climate impact has not been positive.
In fact, between January 2020 and March 2021, G7 countries subsidised fossil fuels more than renewable energy.
We are at a very dangerous point. Humanity must embark on a path towards decarbonised energy systems and must be able to guarantee universal access to energy. And the problem is that there is no time for second thoughts. Immediate action is required.
Did you know that July 2021 was the hottest month in recorded history?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warns that of the last 142 years, July 2021 has been the worst month for climate. Between 1979 and 2018, the proportion of sea ice in the Arctic has fallen from 30% to 2%. This affects every ecosystem on the planet. In fact, according to Nature Communications, 200 million people in the world will be living below sea level by the end of this century if we continue with this trend.
Many of the phenomena we are constantly experiencing today occur as a consequence of the climate change that we ourselves are accelerating: the fact that spring is coming earlier and earlier, the increase in the number and duration of fires, the frequency of heat waves or desertification are the consequence of the effect of all our emissions, which are causing more than a million species, including 30% of all amphibians on the planet, to be in danger of extinction due to acts directly related to human beings.
What about plastic? why are we so keen to get rid of it? and what real effect does it have on our planet? Plastic creates many problems, but three in particular make it especially dangerous.
The first is that it comes from oil, which is a fuel we need to rely on less and less if we are to safeguard the future of our planet, and therefore our own. The UN estimates that every year 17 million barrels of oil are used to make plastic and 13 million tonnes of plastic leaks into the ocean. This only pollutes the waters in which millions of species live and poisons them. These same poisoned species are then eaten by us, with the consequent risk to our health.
The second is that during all stages of the manufacture and life of plastic, from the extraction and refining of oil to the manufacturing process and disposal and incineration at the end of its useful life, two of the worst greenhouse gases, CO2 and methane, are released, making the manufacture of plastic highly polluting for the air we breathe and helping to raise water levels by increasing global temperatures, thus putting a million species at risk of extinction.
And the third is that, despite everything we are told, recycling is very complicated. The problem is that although plastic is plastic to our eyes, in reality there are many different types of plastic. Not all of them are recycled, and of those that are, not all are recycled in the same way. But there is only one container for plastic! That's right. And that's where all the plastics we have around the house end up, regardless of what type they are. Therefore, as they are already mixed, it is very complicated to recycle them. It is also expensive. According to the data, producing new plastic costs less, in economic terms, than recycling it. Many countries do not give exact data on how much plastic they recycle, ECOEMBES indicates that in 2021, Spain recycled 87% of the plastics it used. But be careful! Spain, like many other European and Western countries in general, sends a large part of its plastic waste to Asia to be recycled. Countries such as China, the Philippines and Vietnam are banning the entry of containers sent to them by Western countries full of waste, as much of it is impossible to recycle or very expensive, so it ends up abandoned in landfills or incinerated in inappropriate places, contaminating the soil and groundwater and, once again, poisoning a multitude of species, including humans.
Clean energy is critical in many respects, not only to prevent contamination of the only home we have, but the pandemic has made it clear that access to energy is key to prevent disease as well. Adequate electricity supply is needed for all health facilities, as well as clean water for proper hygiene.
Indeed, facing a virus that was prevented by social distance, an efficient and guaranteed energy supply to all people was needed to enable communications while maintaining social distance.
Furthermore, clean cooking solutions are equally essential to reduce the high levels of household air pollution that increase the risks of respiratory diseases. In fact, in 2017, almost 3 billion people still lacked access to clean forms of cooking, mainly in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. This results in millions of deaths annually due to smoke poisoning from polluting cooking fuels and technologies.
According to UN data, 789 million people (mainly in sub-Saharan Africa) live without access to electricity and it is estimated that only 28% of health facilities in this geographical area have access to reliable electricity, which does little to help overcome the pandemic.
In total, an estimated 1 billion people currently depend on health facilities without electricity.
Ultimately, according to the latest edition of the SDG 7 Monitoring: Energy Progress Report, issued by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO), despite accelerated progress over the past decade, the world will not achieve universal access to affordable, secure, sustainable and modern energy by 2030 unless efforts are significantly scaled up.
This translates into stronger political commitment, long-term energy planning, increased public and private financing, and appropriate regulatory and fiscal incentives to stimulate faster deployment of new technologies.
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