Page 12 - Vol 33 Issue 34 2021

Editors Clue
editors clue

Energy Generation

Reformation means

Less Carbon Intensity

By Chege Moses Kasaija

radnee Chambers, the Executive Sec­ emissions across their regions. According to Climate
Bre ta ry of the Convention on the Con­ Action Tracker, 127 countries that produce around 63%
ser va tion of Migratory Species of Wild Ani­ of global emissions are now committing themselves to
adopt net-zero targets.
mals once said that the development and We need to keep developing energy generation
deployment of new technologies to de- technologies that allows us to use less oil in our
liver the world’s energy needs from re- cars and trucks, less energy for our buildings and
newable sources are essential if we are our plants and our factories -- that’s the strategy we
to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. should be pursuing. And that’s the only real solution
To stop or reverse climate change and to this challenge.
At the same time, a growing number of companies
to provide the world’s growing human are looking at linking CEO or director-level remuneration
population with the energy it needs, then to climate/ESG-related targets, such as greenhouse gas
hydro-, oceanic, wind and solar power reduction.
must to be part of the mix. Today’s world is demanding sustainable businesses
that pay respect to future generations – from investors and consumers
alike. For mining, this means ESG (environment, social and governance)
But renewable energy is not the silver bullet that will help us overcome the compliance, financing and performance measurement.
barriers to building a cleaner, better and sustainable future. Regardless The past year has demonstrated how putting ESG at the core of a
of how it is produced, electricity has to be transmitted from where it is strategy is crucial for delivering growth. Looking forward, it is clear that key
generated to the homes, offices, factories, hospitals and schools where it is players in this sector will continue to be increasingly drawn to companies
needed. And this requires a substantial infrastructure of pylons and cables, that actively embrace ESG policies.
which leave their mark on the landscape, and, of great concern to those On a brighter note, given the extent of damage that has been wrought
dealing with nature conservation, can have detrimental effects on wildlife by decades of Shell’s involvement in the destruction of the environment
habitats and migration routes. and persisting accusations of human rights abuses on the Ogoni people
Additionally, Dr Hussein Moghaddam from the GECF Secretariat asserts in the Nigerian niger delta, a Dutch court recently ruled that Shell had
that there is more than one way to achieve the Paris Agreement targets, polluted the Niger Delta for far too long and ordered the energy giant to
and more than one way to achieve a low carbon future. Although it is pay compensation, this indeed is what is needed as Individuals will benefit,
projected that renewables and other unconventional sources of energy the community will benefit, the government will benefit, and, in fact, the
may gain a significant portion of the energy supply mix in the next 30 years, companies that will later come to do some work in the area will also benefit
based on the GECF Global Gas Model’s (GGM) calculation, some concerns ... after the clean-up, the water will be restored, the aquatic life will be
may restrict the worldwide commitment to fully substituting fossil fuels, restored, farmland will be restored for farmers to continue their fishing
and in particular natural gas. The GGM shows that being committed to and farming.
carbon-neutral targets does not sufficiently contribute to the greenhouse Cheers!
gas (GHG) emissions reduction, if not accompanied by feasible policies.
Years ago, the need to discuss climate change would not be a given as it
is today. Since global warming has become a major hazard for the future of
the planet, energy transmission as a response to this concern is inevitable.
To limit warming to 1.5°C by 2050-60, many countries agreed and pledged
under the Paris Agreement to set up ambitious targets to reach net-zero

12 | AFRICAN POWER Mining & Oil Review Vol33 Issue 34 2021