The latest version of the report, “Energy [R]evolution: a sustainable world energy outlook”[1], shows how, by 2050, 94%[2] of the electricity produced in Developing Asia[3] can come from renewables, which would in turn massively boost the power sector job market by as much as 700,000 -- or 30% more jobs by 2020 than with a business-as-usual scenario.
"Investing in renewables in Southeast Asia can only further
boost the region's already fast growing economy. Doing so will
eliminate unpredictable fossil fuel costs, and the external costs
of coal and nuclear energy use, such as health or environmental
damages. It will also create more jobs than the coal and nuclear
industries ever could," said Sven Teske, Greenpeace International's
Senior Energy Expert and co-author of the report. "By 2020, there
could be more than 400,000 jobs in the renewables industry in SEA,
as the energy revolution scenario invests in jobs for people rather
than in fossil fuels."
Based on the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC)
2010-2015, the target is to increase Renewable Energy installed
capacity in the power generation mix by only 15%. In contrast,
coal supply for primary energy consumption is expected to increase
by a factor of 5 until 2030, making the region five times more
dependent on fossil fuel imports and on fluctuating world market
prices.[4]
Southeast Asia can actually avoid this path and opt for an
Energy [R]evolution development pathway from which the region can
reap the massive benefits brought on by Renewable Energy-based
low-carbon economies. Under an Energy [R]evolution scenario,
development of the electricity supply sector is characterized by an
increasing share of renewable electricity.
Under the advanced Energy [R]evolution scenario,[2] a fast
market development pathway, with high annual growth rates achieves
a renewable electricity share of 59% by 2030 and 94% by 2050. The
installed capacity of renewables will reach 363 GW in 2030 and 1037
GW by 2050, 68% higher than the business-as-usual scenario.
"The industrial revolution created a world dependent on fossil
fuels now locked in an unsustainable cycle which has been feeding
ever-worsening climate change impacts. Developing countries most
at risk from these impacts, like those in Southeast Asia, are now
presented with an opportunity to avoid this destructive path and
immediately switch to RE and reap its benefits," said Amalie
Obusan, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Climate and Energy
Campaigner.
"Southeast Asia's governments must recognize that the
sustainable future of the planet is rooted in the investment in
people and local communities who can install and maintain renewable
energy sources. And, together with financial institutions such as
the ADB, they should switch off their funding of dirty and finite
fossil fuels, channel it to funding the Energy [R]evolution and
urgently draft power policy legislation which will enable it to
happen," Obusan added. "There is no technological barrier in
implementing the energy revolution- only political obstacles - to
achieving this vision and reaping its many benefits in terms of the
environment, the economy and jobs."
The overall global annual market for renewable energy technology
will increase from around US$100 billion today, to more than US$600
billion by 2030. Southeast Asian nations could have an annual
market volume of up to 50 billion per year and will have a lot to
gain by taking advantage of this emerging trend, and phasing out
fossil fuels which are set to become obsolete.
Key to making the Energy [R]evolution a reality is creating a
system in which investment costs are shared fairly under a global
climate regime. One such mechanism, discussed in the report, is
the Greenhouse Development Rights framework (GDR)[5], which
calculates national shares of global greenhouse gas obligations
based on a combination of responsibility (contribution to climate
change) and capacity (ability to pay).
Other contacts: Sven Teske, Greenpeace International senior energy expert, + 31 6 2129 6894 (Netherlands),
+49 171-87 87 552 (Germany), 
Amalie Obusan, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Climate and Energy Campaigner, +63 917 584 9663, 
JP Agcaoili, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Media Campaigner, +63 917 631 2750, +63 2 414 6512 loc 121, 
VVPR info: Copies of the “Energy [R]evolution: A sustainable World Energy Outlook” report can be downloaded at: http://www.greenpeace.org/seasia/en/press/reports/the-energy-r-evolution and www.erec.org. The Energy Revolution scenarios for Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, based on the first edition, were published in 2008 and are available at www.greenpeace.org/seasia, and www.energyblueprint.info.
Notes: [1] This is the third edition of the global Energy [R]evolution scenario. Since the first one was published in January 2007., the analysis has been constantly deepened. The Energy [R]evolution is an innovation on how the world produces, distributes and uses energy.
[2] The latest report covers two different Energy [R]evolution scenarios. A moderate one with a global target of reducing 50% energy-related CO2 globally by 2050, and an advanced one with a target of over 80% CO2 reduction (basis 1990 level). In this release we only present the results of the advanced scenario.
[3] “Developing Asia” refers to South East Asian countries, plus Pakistan and Afghanistan
[4] Based on the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2010-2015, the share of renewable energy in primary energy consumption was 28.1% in 2005. This is expected to grow annually at a rate of 9.1%. The APAEC 2004-2009 targeted a 10% increase of installed Renewable Energy -based capacities, achieving this in 2008 with an installed capacity of 37,100MW.
[5] For more information on GDR read chapter two of the report.