Swedish Greentech Could Help Overcome Energy Crises In Developing Countries

There is a strong correlation between economic growth and reduction in waste, greenhouse gases, making optimum use of natural and human resources, and the production and conservation of energy through ongoing innovation to meet the environmental and human development challenges in a changing world. Using green technologies could bring many tangible and intangible benefits to developing countries, and Swedish companies could certainly play a positive role in helping them achieve sustainable development and economic growth targets and objectives.

Green Technologies, commonly known as Greentech or Cleantech, lie at the heart of environment friendly sustainable development, and are moving up on the global socio-economic development agenda at a rapid pace. Sweden is one of the world’s leading nations innovating, implementing and exporting Greentech. It has been proactively pursuing and practicing policies that have encouraged research and development of reliable technologies for water purification, sanitation, sewage and wastewater treatment, waste management and waste-to-energy, production of biofuels, as well as generation of renewable energy from biomass, wind and solar power. 

The continued push towards the development and implementation of green technologies enabled Sweden to become the first country in Europe to meet the renewable energy targets, set by the European Union (EU) for 2020, eight years ahead of schedule. Renewable energy now  accounts for more than 50 per cent of total energy used in Sweden, while the EU target calls for renewable energy making up for 49 per cent of the total energy used in member countries, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 20 per cent and ensuring that biofuels account for 10 per cent of total auto fuel consumption by 2020.

Imitation Is The First Step Towards Innovation!

Sweden’s successful experience and knowledge of implementing green technologies could be used by many countries around the world, especially in the developing world, where the challenges of developing a sustainable civic and industrial infrastructure in line with the needs and demands of a growing population must be overcome to realise economic growth in the short, medium and the long term. They could also benefit from emulating how Sweden is continuing to develop its economic and human resources without neglecting the environment.

Production of clean renewable energy is continuing to rise in Sweden. Total power production increased by 9.8 per cent in 2012 to 161.3 TWh from 146.9 TWh in 2011 due higher than average hydropower output, which went up by 17.8 per cent to 78 TWh from 66.2 TWh in 2011, nuclear power production recorded a 5 per cent increase to reach 61 TWh compared with 58 TWh a year earlier, while wind power production increased by 18 per cent to 7.2 TWh from 6.1 TWh in 2011.

Power production from combined heat and power (CHP) plants – which use biomass and waste as feedstock - went down by 7.2 per cent due to a mild weather during 2012 to 15.4 TWh from 16.6 TWh in 2011. Total electricity consumption in Sweden in 2012 went up marginally by 1.4 per cent to 142 TWh from 140 TWh in 2011, primarily due to milder weather in the fall and a slowdown in the use of electricity by the industrial sector. 

Higher production of renewable energy also saw an increase in Sweden’s power exports by a record 172.2 per cent in 2012 to 20 TWh from 7 TWh in 2011. Due to higher exports from Sweden, the Nordic region exported 15 TWh in 2012 to the rest of Europe compared with imports of 5 TWh in 2011. The list of benefits of Greentech is very long, but the journey towards achieving positive results starts with the first step in the right direction. Developing countries could take that first step by putting in place practical policies for adoption of Greentech.

Time For Pakistan To Get in Gear

When he took over the country in a bloodless coup in October 1999 by overthrowing the government of then-prime minister Nawaz, he was welcomed by a large majority of the people of Pakistan, who delightedly distributed sweets and congratulated each other. When he relinquished power on 18 August after a spell of almost nine years, they distributed sweets again, and thanked the almighty that he is no longer the President of Pakistan.

Former General and Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Armed Forces, who remained president for almost nine years resigned to the delight of the political parties and media who had been lobbying and campaigning for his ouster shortly after the 18 February general elections ‑ that brought to the fore the current coalition federal government of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, and the Awami National Party (ANP) from the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

Musharraf’s resignation may have closed a controversial chapter in Pakistan’s political history, but it has also opened up a new Pandora’s Box full of challenges big and small that require urgent and immediate attention of the elected government in Islamabad, as well as the four provincial governments. The list of pressing challenges is painfully long.

Rising poverty, shortages and run away prices of food and energy have broken the back of Pakistan’s economy. The lingering power crisis has cut productivity by half. Hundreds of thousands of businesses and SMEs have gone bankrupt and have been shut down. Pakistan’s economy been bleeding since late 2007 and a rising number of people are finding it impossible to make ends meet and feed their families.

More than 80 per cent of Pakistanis live under $2 per day, and almost half of them depend on daily wages. In the absence of any industries or workplaces to go to, hundreds of thousands of people have no work and income. According to the Lahore-based Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the number of suicides from June 26-July 25 rose to 285 across the country due to poverty and inability of people to feed children and families. There were 197 cases of attempted suicide, which could increase further if the economy does not move out of a state of inertia towards growth and productivity.

The most powerful gift of successful democracies around the world – governments of the people; by the people; and for the people; is the provision of opportunities to sustain an honest, just, safe, secure and productive human existence. The current democratic set up in Pakistan presents a golden opportunity to the ruling parties to deliver their manifestos in the form of tangible results that have a positive impact on the lives of people of Pakistan.

Political consensus, tolerance and commitment to overcoming the most pressing challenges top the national agenda. The ruling political parties in Pakistan have had their due share of trouble and trauma in the last decade. Their bitter and sweet experiences must have matured them to rise above self and work for collective national development.

The ruling coalition of the two leading political parties in Pakistan has an opportunity to show maturity and method in tacking the socio-economic challenges that have given rise to resentment, anger and helpless rage. For things to get better in Pakistan, the government needs to shake off the state of economic inertia and ensure that its policy and decision makers get in gear before it is too late.

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Searching For Peace And Prosperity

In a long discussion with a friend recently, it suddenlty struck me that there was much human beings could learn from Ants. They always manage to find a way to get to where they want to, and are not putt off or inclined to give up when faced with a hurdle or a wall much bigger than their own size.

The world leaders of today are faced with many challenges that have grown beyond their control. Fixing the entire blame on those in charge of countries and states would be unfair, however, and ignoring what led to those challenges becoming stark realities of life would be unwise.

The fast pace of environmental degredation, painfully high prices of energy, depleting water resrvoirs and resoruces, and the deadly shortages of food and staple are an outcome of collective human neglect, as well as lack of planning, indiffernce and reluctance to put a stitch in time to save nine.

The established and emerging champions of development and prosperity ought to take a deep breath and think even deeply. People of the world, espeically in the poor developing countries, need not be deprived of basic amenities of life. Development-focused efforts, with malice and bias towards none, could rid the world of many man-made challenges.

The foremost of them are hunger, poverty, healthcare, education and basic human rights. Progressive and benevolent minds and bodies are indeed working across the globe to bring hope and help to millions of people in need. But they can only do enough to meet the immediate and most pressing needs in disaster and war-struck countries, as well as conflict areas.

With a little help from their project development and financial advisers, the rich and affluent could make the world a better and more peaceful place for those exposed to poverty, hunger and death. Ensuring that hundreds of millions of people feel safe and secure in their own countries, would strenghthen global security.

Anyone thinking that having lots of poor and hungry neigbours would not have an impact on their own well being in the days and years to come, needs sound advice. Indifference only breeds contempt. Leaving millions of people without hope and in conditions that continue to deteriorate, will only breed hatred and decadence that could easily spill over and spread like gangrene.

Efforts, initiatives, development plans and programmes continue to win applause at global summits and conferences. Quick action and sustainable projects that make a positve difference at the grassroots level are still far and few. The challenges are many and mighty, but the human spirit is mightier than them all.

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Food For Thought

The ongoing food and energy crises in several parts of the world have made many global leaders sit up and think. Some have started taking corrective measures while others have committed to working together to overcome human development challenges.

Food and energy, the two basic necessities to sustain human existence, top today’s global agenda. Shortages and famines are fears shared by many poor countries, while the rich are getting worried about ensuring reliable sources of supply over the long term.

Rising inflation and prices of basic food items are making the poorest people insane, and many have committed suicide due to their inability to feed family and children.

Feeding the world’s poor is a major challenge indeed, but providing food for thought is equally essential and necessary. Knowledge of self, surroundings, stakes, rights, duties, freedom, responsibility, skills, as well as what negative or positive impact an individual or a society’s actions could have on other people is as important as food and energy. Teaching someone to catch fish is better than giving them one every day.

The unequal distribution of wealth and resources, as well as greed and hunger for more than one requires to live ‘well’ are hindrances the world has had trouble to overcome since its inception. Throughout history, personal and collective greed has victimized people and nations.

The world’s libraries are full of evidence that the inability to respect the rights of others and restrict actions and advances driven by unchecked ambition – were and are responsible for human tragedies and disasters.

Such disasters continue to harm us today. They are more visible in the poor countries torn by conflict and war, and their impact in the developed countries, at least for now, is of an indirect nature. The rich countries are bombarded with requests for support, aid and assistance in times of trouble.

Help is provided to overcome emergencies. The commitments and assurances of support and assistance make headlines around the world, but little gets done on the ground and the problems continue to multiply. Darfur, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Myanamar and Palestine are some of the more visible outcomes of human neglect, vested interest and indifference.

Change in mindset and behaviour could only be made possible by feeding the minds. There is more food for thought available in developed nations, but it is in short supply in overpopulated, poor countries and conflict areas. Inability to build consensus, extremism, fundamentalism, and putting personal interests ahead of collective benefit and greater good stem from lack of education and understanding, not only hunger and poverty.

The situation calls for a proactive positive action from countries with the most resources to create awareness through education and dissemination of knowledge at the grassroots level in the developing countries. Change in mindset and behaviour are also necessary in the developed world, and the emerging oil-rich states of the Persian Gulf and the Middle East. Reducing and eradicating human rights violations and abuse of power will expedite human development.

Engaging the people of the world, rich and poor, in a positive dialogue to foster respect and understanding for the rights and needs of others is the only plausible and sensible solution for sustainable development. This could only be made possible if more people, especially in the poor developing countries and conflict areas, are empowered to think for themselves.

Feeding minds with knowledge and education that activates brains to think and act positively is the key to overcoming the world’s current and future development challenges. Making the resources available for the gigantic task is a challenge that could be overcome by the world’s richest nations and the affluent local communities, as well as the multinationals and the corporate sector. Finding the will to drive and push the process forward would, however, require an honest collective effort.

From Lahore to Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi to Aberdeen, progressive minds working for human development in diverse cultural environments with different religious beliefs are faced with their own sets of challenges. They are working on finding answers to many questions, and the one that tops their list is: Why can we not feed the bodies as well as the minds of people if we really want to live in peace together?
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