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Total Production of Forest Assortments in Bosnia and Herzegovina Increased by 20 Per Cent

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Photo: Agency for Statistics of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (screenshot)

Total production of forest assortments in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1st quarter of 2020 increased by 20,29%, compared to the same period in 2019.

Production of coniferous (softwood)   assortments is higher for 26,26% while the production of broadleaf (hardwood) assortments increases for 14,19%.

Production of coniferous logs is 24,69% higher while the production of broadleaf logs records an increase of 13,48%.

An increase in production,  compared to the 1st quarter of 2019, has been recorded in all other forest assortments.

In the production of coniferous mining wood, the rise is 21,10%, in production of other coniferous long wood  2,23%, in production of coniferous cordwood 34,76%, in production of broadleaf other long wood  42,96%,  in production of broadleaf cordwood 46,00% and in production of broadleaf fuelwood 12,43%.

Broadleaf mining wood, other roughly worked wood and coniferous fuelwood are produced in small quantities and changes  in produced quantities do not affect variations in total production of forest assortments.

You can read the full statement here.

Source: Agency for Statistics of the Bosnia and Herzegovina

UNEP Start-Up Challenge Winners Show How Business Can Build Back Better From COVID-19

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Quingbao Meng)
Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Quingbao Meng)

The 2020 winners of a UN Environment Programme (UNEP) start-up initiative are demonstrating business solutions that will help Asia build back better and greener after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The nine entrepreneurs selected by the 2020 Asia-Pacific Low Carbon Lifestyles Challenge are advancing green businesses in the categories of low-carbon energy, plastic waste prevention and low-carbon mobility. Each winner receives $10,000 in funding, in addition to training, business mentoring and technical analysis of their environmental impacts. Winners hail from Bhutan, China, India, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam.

“COVID-19 has brought about an unprecedented halt to many human activities, including some that have wreaked significant damage on environmental systems in Asia,” said Dechen Tsering, UNEP’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. “Lessons learned from the management of this crisis provide an opportunity to both revisit our relationship with nature and rebuild a more environmentally responsible economy. Entrepreneurs in Asia stand ready with innovative business solutions that work for economic recovery and the environment. The Asia Pacific Low Carbon Lifestyles Challenge will help them overcome systemic barriers that innovations usually face, with grants, partnerships, training and visibility.”

In support of entrepreneurs experiencing downtime during lockdown, UNEP will make the eight-week startup bootcamp online, and free to all interested entrepreneurs.

The winners of the 2020 Asia-Pacific Low Carbon Lifestyles Challenge are:

Preventing plastic waste

Sissi Chao, China

Sissi’s start-up REMAKEHUB works with NGOs and fishing companies and fashion brands to collect discarded fishing nets and then transform them into high-performance renewable plastic products. Having already collaborated with WWF to create upcycled sunglasses and prototyping furniture, REMAKEHUB is fixing its gaze on the US$141 billion eyewear market and the US$100 billion furniture market.

Rikesh Gurung, Bhutan

As Founder of The Green Road, Rikesh is transforming plastic waste into roadbuilding material. As the first effort of its kind in Bhutan, they have already recovered 400 tonnes of waste plastic from landfills and industry and have used it to pave over 65 kilometers of road. With 20 per cent of Bhutan’s 8,800km road network requiring surfacing each year, the potential demand for plastic waste is substantial.

Linh Le, Vietnam

Linh’s reusable cup share system, AYA Cup, is taking aim at the 27 tons of plastic and Styrofoam generated by Vietnam’s food delivery and take-away industry every year. But her environmental efforts also aim to turn a profit – the single-use plastic industry in Vietnam is worth up to US$1.6 billion each year.

Low-carbon energy

Kaikai Yang, China

Kaikai’s Wattime Platform is connecting renewable energy producers and consumers in rural areas. Often local generation and consumption is unbalanced, but Wattime aims to create a more sustainable business for renewables on the back of blockchain and advanced metering infrastructure technologies.

Osama bin Shakeel, Pakistan

An electrical engineer by training, Osama’s startup ENENT has built a solid-state load balancer that can save households 20-25 per cent on their electricity bills with virtually no impact to the consumer. The result is not only a welcome financial saving for household owners in Pakistan – it’s beneficial for the environment, cutting the carbon footprint of one of the largest contributors to climate change – buildings.

Tuan Tran, Vietnam

Tuan’s start-up Airiot is targeting the hotel and homestay market in Vietnam, where guests tend to leave air conditioning on even when they’re not in the room. Airiot’s simple solution, already piloted in 500 rooms across Vietnam has shown a 25-40 per cent reduction in electricity usage each month – with associated carbon emissions reductions.

Low-carbon mobility

Pichayanun Benjaboonyapisut, Thailand

Pichayanun’s company CyFai is tapping into two things Thailand has in abundance: sun and scooters. CyFai started as a provider of shading solutions for parking lots. Now, they are working with technical partners to add solar panels and charging stations to the shading setup and finance e-bikes to low income customers. The ebikes can also be used as mobile batteries for household energy use. CyFai is tying it all together to create an environmentally friendly alternative for the 83 per cent of Thai households that use a scooter.

Ajay Singh, India

Ajay’s Nimray Network is bringing electric mobility full circle, connecting electric vehicles to clean energy production. As more and more electric vehicles are adopted around the world, Ajay is working to achieve the up to 95 per cent reduction in carbon emissions that occurs when the vehicles are charged by renewable energy.

Earth Choohut, Thailand

Earth’s ETRAN was founded on the idea to develop an electric motorbike for public transportation. Now with two models, the PROM and the KRAF, ETRAN is working to edge out the 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide produced annually by electrifying Thailand’s 22 million motorcycles. Greenhouse gas reduction isn’t Earth’s only goal – ETRAN’s two-wheelers are now over 40 per cent bioplastics as well.

This is an initiative funded by the Ministry of Environment Japan, as part of the One Planet network (the network of the 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (10 YFP)). Partners include the Asia Pacific Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production, Massive Earth Foundation, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Mitsui Chemicals International, and GCL Power.

Source: UNEP

International Tourist Numbers Could Fall 60-80% in 2020, UNWTO Reports

Photo-illustration: Pixabay
  • International tourism down 22% in Q1 and could decline by 60-80% over the whole year
  • 67 million fewer international tourists up to March translates into US$80 billion in lost exports
  • UNWTO has outlined three possible future scenarios depending on how the crisis unfolds
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a 22% fall in international tourist arrivals during the first quarter of 2020, the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) shows. According to the United Nations specialized agency, the crisis could lead to an annual decline of between 60% and 80% when compared with 2019 figures. This places millions of livelihoods at risk and threatens to roll back progress made in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The world is facing an unprecedented health and economic crisis. Tourism has been hit hard, with millions of jobs at risk in one of the most labour-intensive sectors of the economy.

Available data reported by destinations point to a 22% decline in arrivals in the first three months of the year, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Arrivals in March dropped sharply by 57% following the start of a lockdown in many countries, as well as the widespread introduction of travel restrictions and the closure of airports and national borders. This translates into a loss of 67 million international arrivals and about US$80 billion in receipts (exports from tourism).

Although Asia and the Pacific shows the highest impact in relative and absolute terms (-33 million arrivals), the impact in Europe, though lower in percentage, is quite high in volume (-22 million).

International Tourism 2020 Scenarios

Prospects for the year have been downgraded several times since the outbreak and uncertainty continues to dominate. Current scenarios point to possible declines in arrivals of 58% to 78% for the year. These depend on the speed of containment and the duration of travel restrictions and shutdown of borders. The following scenarios for 2020 are based on three possible dates for the gradual opening up of international borders.

  • Scenario 1 (-58%) based on the gradual opening of international borders and easing of travel restrictions in early July;
  • Scenario 2 (-70%) based on the gradual opening of international borders and easing of travel restrictions in early September;
  • Scenario 3 (-78%) based on the gradual opening of international borders and easing of travel restrictions only in early December.

Under these scenarios, the impact of the loss of demand in international travel could translate into:

  • Loss of 850 million to 1.1 billion international tourists;
  • Loss of US$910 billion to US$1.2 trillion in export revenues from tourism;
  • 100 to 120 million direct tourism jobs at risk.

This is by far the worst crisis that international tourism has faced since records began (1950). The impact will be felt to varying degrees in the different global regions and at overlapping times, with Asia and the Pacific expected to rebound first.

Experts see recovery in 2021

Domestic demand is expected to recover faster than international demand according to the UNWTO Panel of Experts survey. The majority expects to see signs of recovery by the final quarter of 2020 but mostly in 2021. Based on previous crises, leisure travel is expected to recover quicker, particularly travel for visiting friends and relatives, than business travel.

The estimates regarding the recovery of international travel is more positive in Africa and the Middle East with most experts foreseeing recovery still in 2020. Experts in the Americas are the least optimistic and least likely to believe in recovery in 2020, while in Europe and Asia the outlook is mixed, with half of the experts expecting to see recovery within this year.

Source: UNWTO

Staying the Course on Clean Transport Fuels in Latin America

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Modern bioenergy is an often-overlooked giant among renewable energy sources, accounting for half of the world’s renewable energy consumption. Biofuels are by far the largest source of clean transport fuels, with almost a quarter of the demand coming from Latin America. Biofuels have numerous benefits for the region, from ensuring energy security to lowering emissions and creating jobs in rural areas. Therefore, it is essential to understand the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on this key sector for Latin America’s clean energy transitions.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Producers of biofuels in Argentina and Brazil, the two largest markets, are facing lower demand and lower prices in their domestic and export markets. While ethanol producers are able to switch their production to sugar, the price of sugar is also currently low. The situation in Brazil is compounded by rapidly declining gasoline prices, which reduce the competitiveness of unblended biofuels at the pump.

In 2017, Latin America accounted for less than 8% of the world’s transport energy demand but was responsible for 23% of the demand for biofuels, with Argentina and Brazil as the two largest markets. With 9% (by energy) of renewables in its transport mix versus the global average of 3%, the region is a step ahead in decarbonising transport.

In addition to being the second-largest biofuel producer, Brazil has the world’s second-largest share of renewables in transport, the result of a policy established following the 1973 oil crisis to promote biofuels as an alternative to imported fossil fuels. Brazil’s flagship new biofuel policy, RenovaBio, was developed to meet targets included in Brazil’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement on climate change: a 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 2028 and an 18% share for sustainable biofuels in the country’s energy mix by 2030.

Biofuels are a source of economic development and employment in rural areas. According to the Brazilian sugarcane industry association UNICA, the sector is responsible for 2.3 million direct and indirect jobs in Brazil, with a higher rate of formal employment than the rest of the agro-industry and the overall economy. Brazil has the world’s largest fleet of flex-fuel vehicles,2 representing over 70% of the country’s passenger vehicle fleet and more than 90% of new passenger car registrations each year, allowing consumers to choose at the pump between unblended ethanol and gasoline, depending on relative pricing.

Brazilian sugarcane mills usually produce both sugar and ethanol – with shares decided during the harvest based on which commodity will bring greater revenue – as well as renewable electricity generated from burning bagasse, a sugar cane residue.

Faced with lower transport fuel demand and prices, ethanol producers are allocating a larger part of the sugar cane crop to sugar, which leads, in turn, to lower prices. Lower demand has allowed producers in Argentina and Brazil to direct a share of ethanol for the production of hand sanitizers during the pandemic, although this market is far smaller than that for transport fuels.

Many mills in the sector were already heavily indebted before the crisis as a result of the loss of competitiveness of unblended ethanol while gasoline prices were subsidised between 2012 and 2016. The impact of the crisis could be compounded as it is taking place at the beginning of harvest season, when mills need income from ethanol sales to undertake their activities.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Brazilian ethanol producers are also dealing with decreasing gasoline prices, which have fallen more rapidly than unblended ethanol prices at the pump. This will not only reduce total consumption of biofuels, but also the share of biofuels in total transport demand. Therefore, Brazil’s newly introduced flagship RenovaBio program may need to adjust CO2 emissions reduction targets for the year, with a resulting change to the value of associated CBIO certificates.

Argentina’s biodiesel industry, the sixth‑largest globally, relies on exports as domestic demand from the country’s 10% blending mandate is well below production capacity. Argentine biofuel exports have been the focus of international trade disputes, which has led to several restrictions and quotas that have hurt the sector’s financial health and investment capacity. With local and export demand expected to shrink by around 30%, biofuels production in Argentina in 2020 is expected to drop to 2009 levels, with idle production capacity reaching around 60%.

To address the developing crisis in Latin America’s biofuel sector, it will be critical to recognise the numerous benefits that biofuels bring to the region, including energy security, lower emissions, jobs and economic development in rural areas.

Short-term measures could include making favourable changes in fuel taxation and financial support measures for the sector, including funding working capital, and making storage available to absorb excess production during periods of low demand. Tax regimes and incentives should be carefully reviewed on a regular basis to consider the impacts on final consumers as well as economic sustainability.

Demand is expected to grow in the longer term. So programmes that encourage the use of biofuels – and that provide a long-term vision of their place in the transport sector, such as RenovaBio – are crucial to enable long-term investments in the sector. It is essential that such policy ambitions are not delayed or diluted as a result of low oil prices.

Latin America, a leading region in biofuels, is a source of experience that is relevant for countries all over the world. Argentina and Brazil are founding members of the Biofuture Platform, a 20-country partnership established in 2016 to promote co-ordination of efforts to support the development and deployment of modern, sustainable bioenergy. Since 2019, the IEA has served as Facilitator for the Biofuture Platform.

Under its Clean Energy Transitions Programme, the IEA is developing a framework for assessing the impact and effectiveness of bioenergy policies and frameworks. The IEA will continue working with the Biofuture Platform, the IEA Bioenergy Technology Collaboration Programme and other flagship bioenergy partnerships. Together we will help policy makers and decision makers develop effective responses to the crisis and accelerate efforts in support of a sustainable bioeconomy in Latin America and beyond.

Authors: Mariano Berkenwald, Clean Energy Transitions Programme Officer for Latin America, and Pharoah Le Feuvre, Renewable Energy Analyst

Source: IEA

Harnessing Tech to Employ Last-Mile Tree Planters in a COVID-19 World

Photo: UNEP (David Wilfred)

The year 2020 started with such optimism and hope for nature-based solutions and environmental sustainability.

Photo: UNEP (David Wilfred)

Environmental, social and governance investments were high on the agenda at Davos; the World Economic Forum launched the 1 Trillion Trees campaign, backed by Salesforce; BlackRock’s CEO sent an open letter to industry leaders about the future of the planet and the tough but necessary choices ahead for investment; and calls for action from young people were gathering momentum.

The message was clear: if we don’t do something fast, our future does not look good.

Then, a few short weeks into the new decade, COVID-19 literally shut giant swaths of the world down. Planes stopped flying, factories closed, businesses had to adapt, and people stayed indoors. Many world leaders showed us that in times of crisis they can act fast.

Now what? Post COVID-19 recovery plans are a priority: the current loss of income and slowed economic growth are being compared by some to the Great Depression of the 1930s—and this time the situation may be affecting millions more people.

Photo: UNEP (Jon Trimarco)

The climate, biodiversity and COVID-19-induced poverty crises require creative and innovative solutions.

In recent years there has been much technological development in terms of restoring degraded land—from big satellite data and complex carbon measuring systems, to tree tracking and tree-based currencies. Investments in land restoration can create much needed jobs and income in rural areas of developing countries.

What if we harnessed new technology by linking donors investing in trees to the actual planters themselves, where the planters are paid not only to plant the tree, but also to ensure their survival?  Could we turn tree planters into tree growers through an incremental payment system that pays individual planters to maintain the life of a tree, especially during its first vulnerable years?

“The big result of this COVID crisis is there will be a lot of jobless people in many impoverished places, when in fact these people could… have jobs in carrying [out] restoration projects near their village, near their community,” says Robert Nasi, Director-General of the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in a recent Global Landscapes Forum panel discussion [minute 38]. “I think we should provide the capacity for these people… to do good work where they are after the crisis.”

Photo: UNEP (Jon Trimarco)

Tim Christophersen, a nature and climate expert with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), says: “The pandemic requires vigorous physical distancing rules, but this need not affect tree-growing efforts. Imagine if one billion smallholder farmers around the world could keep working and supplement their income by planting trees. This could provide economic recovery funding to those who need it the most.”

According to the co-founder of Greenstand, Ezra Jay, “Tackling both climate change and poverty, Greenstand has created a technology stack to verify tree survival and enable planting organizations to pay individuals to grow trees and restore degraded land.”

The technology has been tested in several countries, and perhaps most effectively through a partnership with Fairtree.org, an organization that has developed a mobilization and engagement “pay-to-grow” framework and communications campaign to reach and pay these last mile planters.

Pay to Grow: Enabling a pan-African tree growing movement

As one of many contributing initiatives for a post COVID-19 economic recovery that, in turn, supports the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 and the 1 Trillion Trees campaign, UNEP is exploring the expansion of the “pay to grow” model in East Africa with Greenstand and Fairtree.org.

Photo: UNEP (David Wilfred)

“Fairtree.org, using Greenstand technology, is expanding its pay-to-grow model to the greater tree-planting movement so that together we can ensure measurable social and environmental impact and create more jobs on the front lines of the climate crisis,” says Jon Trimarco, co-founder of Fairtree.org.

“Fairtree’s ‘pay-to-grow’ model ensures that hundreds of thousands of prospective tree growers have the resources and know-how they need to lead restoration projects in their own communities,” Trimarco adds.

The model, which includes a communications strategy and content to educate, mobilize and inspire tree growing, fits well with many ongoing efforts, such as the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) and TerrAfrica.  The Pan-African Action Agenda on Ecosystem Restoration for Increased Resilience is the glue that binds all African restoration initiatives.

Trees provide ecosystems services, including protecting Africa’s soils, water and climate, and buffering disease, and are crucial to averting serious food crises.

Mobilizing millions of new tree champions along the last mile is imperative if we are to achieve the bold targets set out by the 1 Trillion Trees initiative and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Source: UNEP

A New Smart and Safe Way to Monitor Powertrain Equipment in Hazardous Areas

Photo: ABB

Operators can carry out remote real-time health checks on powertrain equipment in hazardous areas with ABB Ability™ Smart Sensors that offer improved analytics, functionality and communications.

ABB will launch its Smart Sensor for rotating machine operating in hazardous areas at Hannover Messe 2020, the leading international technology fair. It further extends the existing scope of applications for ABB Smart Sensors with a new generation design for powertrains in hazardous areas. Chemical and oil and gas customers can now benefit from cost-efficient condition monitoring in a wide variety of applications.

Photo: ABB

The wireless smart sensor monitors key parameters to provide detailed insights into the performance and health of assets such as motors and pumps. Equipment installed in difficult or dangerous to access locations can be safely monitored from a distance. Combining connectivity and data analytics means operators can plan their maintenance activities in advance, reduce downtime and extend equipment lifetime.

“Our new generation of smart sensors provide high quality data to enable ABB’s advanced analytics to be used in hazardous areas,” says Teijo Kärnä, Global Product Manager, ABB Ability™ Smart Sensor. “These smart sensors are more sensitive which allows customers to see problems earlier. They also offer more monitoring capabilities, a broader communication range and exceptional battery life.”

This sensor offers a battery life of up to three times longer than most competing designs. It is sealed for life, with an IP66/67 rating, and can be mounted directly to the equipment in a matter of minutes using a simple mounting bracket.

In focus:

The sensor communicates with smartphones, tablets, PCs and plant gateways using low energy Bluetooth or WirelessHART. A new antenna design has extended its  range by a factor of three to four, meaning that reliable communication over distances of a few hundred meters (line of sight) is now possible.

Another crucial upgrade is that the sensors have greater sensitivity to small changes in the condition of the equipment, including advanced warning of bearing damage. This capability to generate a much wider range of data is matched with state of the art integrated electronics that incorporate advanced algorithms based on ABB’s vast experience in electric motors. This helps operators and maintenance teams produce insightful information to predict potential failure, enabling remedial action to be taken before a breakdown occurs.

The Smart Sensor is currently completing certification for hazardous areas – ATEX, IECEx and NEC. Other certificates will follow over the coming year.

This article was published in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURAL RESOURCES, march – may, 2020

These Countries Are Leading the Transition to Sustainable Energy

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Frederick Tubiermont)
  • The Energy Transition Index 2020 analyzes the energy sectors of 115 countries.
  • Sweden tops the global rankings as the country most prepared to transition to clean energy.
  • COVID-19 could threaten the rate at which economies adopt more sustainable power.
  • Robust long-term policies are needed to guard against shocks such as the pandemic and climate change.
Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Science in HD)

What does COVID-19 mean for the energy transition? While lockdowns have caused a temporary fall in CO2 emissions, the pandemic risks derailing recent progress in addressing the world’s energy challenges.

The current state of the sector is described in the World Economic Forum’s Energy Transition Index 2020. It benchmarks the energy systems of 115 economies, highlighting the leading players in the race to net-zero emissions, as well as those with work to do.

With pressure to get idle economies back to “normal”, the short-term shift to a more sustainable energy sector could be in doubt. But the current crisis also presents an opportunity to rethink how our energy needs are met, and consider the long-term impact on the planet.

Unprecedented change

The past decade has seen rapid transformations as countries move towards clean energy generation, supply and consumption. Coal-fired power plants have been retired, as reliance on natural gas and emissions-free renewable energy sources increases. Incremental gains have been made from carbon pricing initiatives.

Since 2015, 94 of 115 countries have improved their combined score on the Energy Translation Index (ETI), which analyzes each country’s readiness to adopt clean energy using three criteria: energy access and security; environmental sustainability; and economic development and growth.

But the degree of change and the timetable for reaching net-zero emissions differ greatly between countries, and taken as a whole, today’s advances are insufficient to meet the climate targets set by the Paris Agreement.

The 10 countries most prepared for the energy transition

Photo: WEF Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2020 edition

Sweden tops the overall ETI ranking for the third consecutive year as the country most ready to transition to clean energy, followed by Switzerland and Finland. There has been little change in the top 10 since the last report, which demonstrates the energy stability of these developed nations, although the gap with the lowest-ranked countries is closing.

Top-ranked countries share a reduced reliance on imported energy, lower energy subsidies and a strong political commitment to transforming their energy sector to meet climate targets.

The UK and France are the only two G20 economies in the top 10 however, which is otherwise made up of smaller nations.

Powerful shocks

Outside the top 10, progress has been modest in Germany. Ranked 20th, the country has committed to phasing out coal-fired power plants and moving industrial output to cleaner fuels such as hydrogen, but making energy services affordable remains a struggle.

China, ranked 78th, has made strong advances in controlling CO2 emissions by switching to electric vehicles and investing heavily in solar and wind energy – it currently has the world’s largest solar PV and onshore wind capacity. Alongside China, countries including Argentina, India and Italy have shown consistent strong improvements every year. Gains over time have also been recorded by Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Kenya and Oman, among others.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Frederick Tubiermont)

But high energy-consuming countries including the US, Canada and Brazil show little, if any, progress towards an energy transition.

In the US – ranked 32nd – moves to establish a more sustainable energy sector have been hampered by policy decisions, while neighbouring Canada grapples with the conflicting demands of a growing economy and the need to decarbonize the energy sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic serves as a reminder of the impact of external shocks on the global economy. As climate change increases the likelihood of weather extremes such as floods, droughts and violent storms, the need for more sustainable energy practices is intensified.

Policy-makers need to develop a robust framework for energy transition at local, national and international levels, capable of guarding against such shocks.

“The coronavirus pandemic offers an opportunity to consider unorthodox intervention in the energy markets, and global collaboration to support a recovery that accelerates the energy transition once the acute crisis subsides,” says Roberto Bocca, Head of Energy & Materials at the World Economic Forum.

“This giant reset grants us the option to launch aggressive, forward-thinking and long-term strategies leading to a diversified, secure and reliable energy system that will ultimately support the future growth of the world economy in a sustainable and equitable way.”

Source: WEF

Mobility for Africa Shows How Electric Vehicles Can Transform Lives Where It Matters Most

Photo: Courtesy of Mobility for Africa, via Clean Technica

A lot of startups pop up from time to time with the “Next Big Thing” or the next big service offering in EVs. Most of the time they will be hyping some futuristic and to some extent, mythical new six-figure price tagged EV packed with all the “Bells and Whistles” that promises to do 0 to 100 km/h in under 2 seconds! Sometimes we wonder why more people aren’t looking into some more practical solutions to everyday problems like an EV for ordinary people and not some futuristic vaporware some startups promise in perpetuity. People just want to be able to get about safely and efficiently!

Photo: Courtesy of Mobility for Africa, via Clean Technica

To be honest, at this stage 10 years after the first mass produced EV of the modern era, the Nissan Leaf, we just need more and more practical EVs that are widely available. High performance EVs have their place. We are not against people pushing the limits to improve tech. We would just love to see more EVs and mobility as a service firms that are focused on addressing some real life problems and transforming peoples lives where it matters most.

The lives of most rural women and their families have not changed much over the last couple of decades. The women and children still walk long distances to just about everywhere they need to get to. The women walk daily to collect firewood for cooking and heating, water from a well or the nearest river, the nearest clinic, the nearest bus stop to get to the nearest town, and they also walk some distance carrying heavy loads on their heads to take their produce to the market. They often have to make several trips or lose a huge chunk of their perishable produce as they cannot carry a lot of it to the market. The children aren’t spared either, they sometimes walk several km to and from school. The hours wasted mean the communities miss out on many potential economic and self-development opportunities.

Some startups are now working to address some of these problems. We recently found Mobility For Africa (MFA). MFA is a startup founded by Australian Shantha Bloeman and is currently piloting electric three-wheelers in the rural Wedza district of Zimbabwe. MFA’s vision is to “bring solar powered electric transport solutions to women and their families that are affordable, efficient and adapted to peri urban and rural areas in Africa.” As it executes its mission, MFA aims to “empower rural women in Africa with transport solutions that can help them save time, sell more of their goods at the market, take their children to the clinic, to school, to collect water, as well as improve their economic opportunities within the households and local communities.” Its ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life of women and their families and at the same time “contribute to expanding renewable energy for transport in Africa contributing to longer term sustainability and mitigating climate change.”

MFA has partnered with Tsinghua University in China, Midlands State University in Gweru, Zimbabwe, and The Solar Shack to set up the pilot and create the data system to measure results from the pilot programs. MFA has also set up an assembly plant in Harare’s industrial zone. By choosing to bring in semi-knocked down kits from China and assembling the electric tricycle in Harare, MFA will create some good job opportunities and technology transfer programs in Zimbabwe’s current economic environment where unemployment is at an all-time high. MFA has also developed training and operation manuals for its Electric Lady Agents. MFA also facilitates driving lessons & testing for competency for users that also include a driving manual and battery charging guidelines. The manuals are available in both English and local language versions.

The electric tricycle is known as the Hamba, which means “go” in the local languages. Working with its technical partners, the company has used the lessons learnt in the first phase of the pilot to make improvements and modify the original Chinese tricycle to make it more suitable to rural African conditions. The use of solar charging hubs in such rural setups is critical, as most of the time these villages are far from the grid. The synergies between the solar hubs and the electric vehicles will help propel both the distributed solar microgrid and the electric vehicle sectors in this part of the world. The solar hubs will allow battery charging and or battery swapping stations to be set up at multiple locations, which in turn will encourage adoption of electric vehicles. Typical EVs utilized in these villages  may be in the form of two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and low range affordable electric cars and lorries.

MFA plans to roll out a pay-as-you-go system (PayGo). The PayGo system is well understood in rural Africa since the wave of small home solar systems provided by the likes of M-Kopa swept across Sub-Saharan Africa. During this trial phase, MFA has started with a monthly and daily rental system and hope to prove that the women can pay. Armed with this data, it hopes to raise the capital to allow it to provide longer-term financing options.

MFA has successfully raised some funds through a crowdsourcing campaign that allowed it to ship the first container of tricycles and get the pilot program going. MFA has also won a grant from the Live Expo Innovation Grant and also secured a grant from the Africa Energy Competition Fund. MFA has recently secured a partnership with a German second-life battery company, batteries, to test out second-life lithium batteries for the Hamba. MFA hopes Zimbabwe will be a local base for assembly and distribution of its products across Africa. We hope it will be able to find more funding partners to enable it to quickly roll out the commercial phase of the project. After that, the company would have a very nice template to simply cut and paste across many African nations.

Author: Remeredzai Joseph Kuhudzai

Source: Clean Technica

Forest Loss Slows Globally as Sustainable Management Grows

Photo-illustration: Pixabay
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Did you know that forests cover nearly 1/3 of land globally?

That’s 4.06 billion hectares.

In other words, there is around 0.52 ha of forest for every person on the planet.

This interactive report contains the main findings of the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 (FRA 2020).

FRA 2020 examines the status of, and trends in, more than 60 forest-related variables in 236 countries and territories in the period 1990–2020.

The information provided by FRA presents a comprehensive view of the world’s forests and the ways in which the resource is changing. Such a clear global picture supports the development of sound policies, practices and investments affecting forests and forestry.

Download the FRA 2020 Key Findings!

Source: FAO

Record Global Carbon Dioxide Concentrations Despite COVID-19 Crisis

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Over the past few weeks there have been many reports of localized air quality improvements as the world has locked down to combat the coronavirus pandemic. However, no one should think that the climate crisis is therefore over—far from it.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The most recent data from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) shows global carbon dioxide (CO2) levels rising sharply.

In April 2020 the average concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere was 416.21 parts per million (ppm), the highest since measurements began in Hawaii in 1958.

Furthermore, ice core records indicate that such levels have not been seen in the last 800,000 years.

The United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) World Environment Situation Room shows a sharp increase in CO2 concentrations of more than 100 ppm since March 1958.

The curve shows expected seasonal fluctuations: the northern hemisphere has a greater land mass than the southern hemisphere and more vegetation-absorbing CO2 during the summer. Global CO2 concentrations peak in May at the end of the northern hemisphere winter. Then, as photosynthesis takes place and new foliage appears, it absorbs CO2, lowering concentrations by about 7.5 ppm until October. During the northern hemisphere winter, the Earth has less photosynthesis activity, so CO2 concentrations go down until the next cycle.

However, owing to anthropogenic CO2 emissions (emissions from human activities), CO2 concentrations are not only increasing, but accelerating.

The long-term view

Using ice-core records, it is possible to measure CO2 trapped in deep Antarctic ice going back 800,000s years. We have never in the last 800,000 years reached 416 ppm.

Given that the Homo sapiens appeared about 300,000 years ago, and the first trace of Homo sapiens sapiens (also called anatomically modern humans) dates to 196,000 years ago, no individual of our species has experienced such high levels of CO2.

“This is, of course, of great concern for our climate, and demonstrates, yet again, that urgent action is needed to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. To keep average global warming to 1.5°C we need to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 (2055 at the latest),” says Pascal Peduzzi, Director of UNEP/GRID-Geneva and Programme Manager of the World Environment Situation Room.

These results may come as a surprise to those who optimistically assume that COVID-19 will reduce total global emissions.

While it is true that vehicular and air traffic, as well as industrial activity, has reduced sharply in most parts of the world since January 2020, this is not the case with our electricity supply: 64 per cent of the global electricity energy mix comes from fossil fuels (coal: 38 per cent, gas: 23 per cent, oil: 3 per cent), according to the World Energy Outlook 2019. Heating systems have been functioning as before COVID-19. None of the fundamentals have changed (such as the shift to renewable energy, public transport, deforestation).

Forest fires and wildfires that are increasing in likelihood and severity due to climate change continue to affect swathes of Brazil, Honduras, Myanmar, Thailand, and Venezuela, each fire emitting large amounts of additional CO2.

“COVID-19 instead provides us a chance to take stock of the risks we are taking in our unsustainable relationship with our environment and seize the opportunity to rebuild our economies in more environmentally responsible ways. We must take serious account of global threats such as pandemics and climate disaster in order to build resilient markets, companies, countries, global systems and a healthy, sustainable future for everyone.

“Supporting fiscal stimulus and finance packages to take advantage of decarbonization and the accelerating renewable and clean energy transition will not be just a short-term economic win but a win for future resilience too,” he adds.

Source: UNEP

Arctic Ozone Depletion Reached Record Level

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Depletion of the ozone layer, ­the shield that protects life on Earth from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation, reached an unprecedented level over large parts of the Arctic this spring. This phenomenon was caused by the continuing presence of ozone­-depleting substances in the atmosphere and a very cold winter in the stratosphere (the layer of the atmosphere between around 10 km and round 50 km altitude).

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The last time similarly strong  ozone depletion was observed over the Arctic was during spring 2011, and ozone depletion in 2020 was even stronger, according to WMO’s Global Atmosphere Watch ozone observing stations, NASA and the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service implemented by ECMWF.

The ozone hole closed in April with an increase in stratospheric temperatures which culminated in an influx of ozone-rich air from the lower atmosphere.

The depletion would have been even worse if it had not been for a successful international agreement called the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. This led to a phaseout of substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). But they remain in the atmosphere for several decades and their concentrations are still high enough to cause severe ozone destruction.

“The Arctic stratosphere continues to be vulnerable to ozone-depleting substances linked to human activities,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.  “The degree of ozone loss experienced in any particular winter depends on the meteorological conditions. The 2020 ozone loss shows that we have to remain vigilant and maintain continuous observations,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.

“WMO’s Global Atmosphere Watch stations in the Arctic and the Antarctic provide us with early warnings in case of low ozone and intense UV radiation levels. We pay tribute to National Meteorological Services for continuing vital atmospheric monitoring and observing activities despite the constraints of the COVID-19 era,” he said.

Polar Vortex

The formation of an ozone hole is driven by extremely cold temperatures (below -80°C), sunlight, wind fields and damaging chemicals. The majority of the ozone depletion in the Arctic takes place inside the so-called polar vortex: a region of fast-blowing circular winds that intensify in the fall and isolate the air mass within the vortex, keeping it very cold.

This winter (2019-2020) the severity of the Arctic ozone depletion was supported by unusually weak upper atmospheric “wave” events. These waves drive masses of air through the upper atmosphere traveling upward from the lower atmosphere in middle latitudes which disturb the vortex around the Arctic and bring ozone rich air from other parts of the stratosphere.

In addition to that the stratospheric polar vortex over Arctic was strong and combined with consistently very low temperatures for long period of time promoting the creation of a large area of polar stratospheric clouds and the chemical processes that deplete ozone with the appearance of the sun over the Arctic.

As a result of these unusual atmospheric conditions, ozone concentrations above the Arctic reached a record low for the month of March, decreasing to less than 220 Dobson Units, which is normally considered ‘ozone hole levels,’ and at the peak down to 205 Dobson units. The typical lowest ozone values observed over the Arctic in March are at least 240 Dobson Units.

The increase in stratospheric temperatures in April caused the polar vortex to shrink and break into two smaller and separate vortices and allowed mixing with ozone-rich air from the lower atmosphere. The April warm up in the stratosphere ceased the conditions that support the needed for ozone-depletion reactions, polar stratospheric clouds and terminated the depletion event.

As the meteorological conditions and temperatures are different from year to year, the severity of the ozone depletion also fluctuates.  This means that occasional large Arctic ozone depletions are still possible.

The Arctic stratosphere is usually less isolated than the Antarctic one. Stratospheric temperatures in the Arctic usually do not fall as low as in the Antarctic stratosphere neither do they stay low for extended period of time.

This spring’s Arctic ozone hole had a much smaller maximum extension compared to a typical Antarctic hole extent. The  2019 ozone hole over Antarctica was the smallest on record since the ozone hole was first discovered.

Scientists are monitoring the extent to which climate change is leading to stratospheric cooling, which enhances the possibilities for observing temperatures under -78°C especially in the Arctic. Those are needed for the polar stratospheric cloud formation.

UV Radiation

WMO’s Global Atmosphere Watch Network has stations in the Arctic and these are performing high-quality measurements of  both ozone and Ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

The 2020 conditions are similar to the spring of 2011 when the ozone losses over the Arctic were near 50%. The depletion of the Arctic ozone led to an increase in surface UV radiation in the spring of 2011, with scientists observing a 60% increase in the UV Index in the Canadian Arctic, and an even higher increase over Northern Europe.

Moreover, ozone depletion in the Arctic affects the total ozone budget resulting in an increase of summertime UV levels over Canada and Europe. Each year, based on springtime ozone levels, a summer seasonal UV outlook is provided to the public in different countries.

Montreal Protocol

The most recent Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion from WMO and the UN Environment Programme shows that the ozone layer in parts of the stratosphere has recovered at a rate of 1-3% per decade since 2000. At projected rates, Arctic and Northern Hemisphere mid-latitude ozone is expected to heal completely before the middle of the century (~2035) followed by the Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude around mid-century, and Antarctic region by 2060.

Without the Montreal Protocol, this year’s ozone destruction would most likely have been worse. Ozone depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons, once present in refrigerators, spray cans and fire extinguishers, have been phased out under the Montreal Protocol. Nevertheless, the atmospheric measurements and analysis allowed to detect the renewed emissions of some of the controlled substances, stressing the importance of continuous observations of these constituents.

Source: WMO

ESCAP and IRENA Transitioning Asia-Pacific Region Towards Renewables Together

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The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) will work together to improve access to sustainable energy, bolstering the Asia-Pacific region’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The two organisations will offer recommendations to governments in the region positioning the energy transition as an integral part of the immediate response to the crisis and medium to long-term recovery efforts.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Asia-Pacific, home to half of the world’s population, is largely dependent on fossil fuels. Diesel, for instance, fuels the majority of the region’s off-grid electricity needs. According to ESCAP, 200 million people in the Asia Pacific region live without electricity and 1.2 billion people without access to clean cooking fuel. Joint efforts will focus on developing sustainable energy policies that are closely integrated with health and industrial development policies to bolster recovery efforts and rebuild economies.

“The pandemic is an opportunity for us to rethink our economic growth path that has come at a heavy cost to the people and planet,” said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP. “To bring about a fundamental shift for the energy transition, we need to adopt the motto of ‘no more business as usual’ for all stakeholders. Policymakers should not lose sight of the looming climate crisis, but rather design economic stimulus packages with social inclusion and environmental sustainability built into every decision in particular sustainable energy development.”

“We are living in truly unprecedented times, calling for decisive and cooperative action among the international community to save lives and support livelihoods all over the world,” said IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera. “The Asia-Pacific region faces unique energy challenges that undermine the ability of governments to respond to this crisis and build economic resilience. Renewables can underpin these efforts and therefore can play an instrumental role in both the response and the recovery.”

With national budgets strained by immediate COVID-19 needs, short to medium-term energy access investment may represent less of a priority for governments. However, underinvestment in this area could severely impact the capacity of rural health centres to support front-line health workers and provide essential services to COVID-19 patients. When a vaccine does become available, the provision of cold storage and refrigerated transport across large areas will be critical. Decentralized renewable energy technologies such as solar will be key for large-scale immunization efforts in developing countries.

Furthermore, slow progress in mainstreaming clean cooking solutions may expose millions of people to the dangerous combination of particulates and COVID-19. Scientists are already investigating links between air pollution and higher levels of coronavirus mortality, with preliminary results showing a probable correlation between the two.

Renewables can be deployed rapidly and are therefore well-placed to support immediate crisis response efforts including electrification of public health value chains. In the medium to long-term, renewables-based energy systems can also be an engine of sustainable growth. Renewable energy costs in many parts of the world now outcompete traditional energy sources, presenting cost saving opportunities for governments and consumers while boosting energy security, building energy independence and supporting climate-related nationally determined contributions.

According to IRENA’s recently launched Global Renewables Outlook report, renewables can supply more than half of all power needs in Southeast Asia alone by 2030, boosting the regional economy by more than 4.4 per cent and growing jobs by close to 50 per cent in the process. In a recent COVID-19 policy report for Asia and the Pacific, ESCAP identified renewable energy as one of the main sectors to include in stimulus packages.

During the 10th IRENA Assembly last January, ESCAP and IRENA signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together to increase the uptake of renewable energy in the Asia-Pacific region, support the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and contribute to the achievement of SDG7 by 2030.

Source: IRENA

Will the Historic Decisions Bring the Oil Industry Back From the Brink?

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The IEA Oil Market Report (OMR) is one of the world’s most authoritative and timely sources of data, forecasts and analysis on the global oil market – including detailed statistics and commentary on oil supply, demand, inventories, prices and refining activity, as well as oil trade for IEA and selected non-IEA countries.

About this report

  • Global oil demand is expected to fall by a record 9.3 mb/d year-on-year in 2020. The impact of containment measures in 187 countries and territories has been to bring mobility almost to a halt. Demand in April is estimated to be 29 mb/d lower than a year ago, down to a level last seen in 1995. For 2Q20, demand is expected to be 23.1 mb/d below year-ago levels. The recovery in 2H20 will be gradual; in December demand will still be down 2.7 mb/d y-o-y.
  • Global oil supply is set to plunge by a record 12 mb/d in May, after OPEC+ forged a historic output deal to cut production by 9.7 mb/d from an agreed baseline level. As April production was high, the effective cut is 10.7 mb/d. Additional reductions are set to come from other countries with the US and Canada seeing the largest declines. Total non-OPEC output falls could reach 5.2 mb/d in 4Q20, and for the year as a whole output may be 2.3 mb/d lower than last year.
  • Refining throughput in 2020 is forecast to fall 7.6 mb/d y-o-y to 74.3 mb/d on sharply reduced demand for fuels. Global refinery intake is expected to plummet by 16 mb/d y-o-y in 2Q20, with widespread run cuts and shutdowns in all regions. Although refinery runs are falling, product stocks are still expected to build by 6 mb/d. In 2H20, refining activity will slowly recover as the global market moves into deficit.
  • Early data show China’s implied stock build in 1Q20 at 2.1 mb/d, and US stocks increased by 0.5 mb/d. OECD data show that industry stocks in February fell by 35.4 mb to 2 878 mb as a draw for products more than offset a build in crude. Total OECD oil stocks stood 42.4 mb below the five-year average and, due to the weak outlook, now provide 79.2 days of forward demand coverage. In March, floating storage of crude oil increased by 22.9 mb (0.7 mb/d) to 103.1 mb.
  • Twin demand and supply shocks caused oil futures prices to fall by 40% in March. Brent has recovered modestly from an 18-year low as producers reached agreement to curtail output and is trading at $31/bbl. Weak demand pushed prices for crude grades such as WTI Midland and West Canadian Select below $10/bbl. Cracks for gasoline and jet fuel continued to suffer as containment measures were introduced.
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Highlights

Around the world billions of people are affected by one of the worst health crises of the past century. The global economy is under pressure in ways not seen since the Great Depression in the 1930s; businesses are failing and unemployment is surging. Confinement measures are in place in 187 countries and territories, and although they vary in scope, activity in the transportation sector has fallen dramatically almost everywhere. Even assuming that travel restrictions are eased in the second half of the year, we expect that global oil demand in 2020 will fall by 9.3 million barrels a day (mb/d) versus 2019, erasing almost a decade of growth.

Against this bleak background, policy makers are responding with radical steps. Governments have introduced massive emergency fiscal plans to support workers and businesses. Central banks have embarked on huge monetary stimulus programmes. We are also seeing measures being taken to tackle the oil market crisis, with two major events taking place over the past week.

On Sunday, oil producers in the OPEC+ group agreed to cut output by an initial 9.7 mb/d versus their agreed baseline, effective 1 May. In light of the unprecedented depth of the crisis, the IEA has urged major consumers and producers to work together through the forum of the G20 to mitigate the impact on market stability, and an extraordinary meeting of energy ministers from G20 and other countries took place on Friday 10 April. Those present offered their support for the efforts of the OPEC+ countries to stabilise the oil market and, in some cases, discussed output cuts that would take place immediately or over time.

The measures announced by OPEC+ and the G20 countries won’t rebalance the market immediately. But by lowering the peak of the supply overhang and flattening the curve of the build-up in stocks, they help a complex system absorb the worst of this crisis, whose consequences for the oil market remain very uncertain in the short term. We forecast a drop in demand in April of as much as 29 mb/d year-on-year, followed by another significant year-onyear fall of 26 mb/d in May. In June, the gradual recovery likely begins to gain traction, although demand will still be 15 mb/d lower than a year ago. There is no feasible agreement that could cut supply by enough to offset such near-term demand losses. However, the past week’s achievements are a solid start and have the potential to start to reverse the build-up in stocks as we move into the second half of the year.

The OPEC+ and G20 initiatives will impact the oil market in three ways. First, the OPEC+ production cut in May to reach the baseline will actually be 10.7 mb/d and not 9.7 mb/d, as April production was high. This will provide some immediate relief from the supply surplus in the coming weeks, lowering the peak of the build-up of stocks. Second, four countries (China, India, Korea and the United States) have either offered their strategic storage capacity to industry to temporarily park unwanted barrels or are considering increasing their strategic stocks to take advantage of lower prices. This will create extra headroom for the impending stock build-up, helping the market get past the hump. Third, other producers, with the United States and Canada likely to be the largest contributors, could see output fall by around 3.5 mb/d in the coming months due to the impact of lower prices, according to IEA estimates. The loss of this supply combined with the OPEC+ cuts will shift the market into a deficit in the second half of 2020, ensuring an end to the build-up of stocks and a return to more normal market conditions. At the time of publication, we were still waiting for more details on some planned production cuts and proposals to use strategic storage. If the transfers into strategic stocks, which might be as much as 200 mb, were to take place in the next three months or so, they could represent about 2 mb/d of supply withdrawn from the market.

If production does fall sharply, some oil goes into strategic stocks, and demand begins to recover, the second half of 2020 will see demand exceed supply. This will enable the market to start reducing the massive stock overhang that is building up in the first half of the year. Indeed, our current demand and supply estimates imply a stock draw of 4.7 mb/d in the second half.

The historic decisions taken by OPEC+ and the G20 should help bring the oil industry back from the brink of an even more serious situation than it currently faces. Even so, the implied stock build-up of 12 mb/d in the first half of the year still threatens to overwhelm the logistics of the oil industry – ships, pipelines and storage tanks – in the coming weeks. In this Report, we estimate that available capacity could be saturated in mid-year, based on our market balances. However, this is a very broad-brush assumption and the situation varies from place to place. There are already bottlenecks in other parts of the logistics chain, such as competition to buy space on pipeline systems that transport oil. There are also quality issues: it is not possible to accommodate different qualities of crude oil at many sites, and special tanks are required for some products. Floating storage is becoming more expensive as traders compete for ships. Chartering costs for Very Large Crude Carriers have more than doubled since February. Never before has the oil industry come this close to testing its logistics capacity to the limit.

Looking beyond the immediate imbalances in the market, the IEA pointed out to the G20 energy ministers that although low prices might appear to be attractive to consumers, they are of little benefit to the approximately 4 billion people living under some form of COVID-19 lockdown. Also, low prices impact the livelihood of millions of people employed along the oil industry’s extensive value chain, and they damage the economies of weaker producing countries where social stability is already fragile.

Low prices threaten the stability of an industry that will remain central to the functioning of the global economy. Even with demand falling by a record amount this year, oil companies still face the challenges of investing to offset natural production declines and to meet future growth. Global capital expenditure by exploration and production companies in 2020 is forecast to drop by about 32% versus 2019 to $335 billion, the lowest level for 13 years. This reduction of financial resources also undermines the ability of the oil industry to develop some of the technologies needed for clean energy transitions around the world.

There is clearly a long way to go before we can put the COVID-19 crisis behind us. However, we are encouraged by the solidarity shown by policy makers from producing and consuming countries working together to meet this historic challenge of bringing stability to the oil market.

Source: IEA

Forests and Waters Are Our Greatest Treasure

Photo: Marina Stančević

We talked to Branislav Nedimovic, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia about the greatest potentials of Serbian agriculture, how to mitigate the effects of climate change and increase the yields, whether a new law to allow the circulation of genetically modified food is being prepared and whether we will meet the plan by 2050 to have 40 per cent of land under forest

Agriculture is most certainly one of the main pillars of the Serbian economy and any progress it records directly reflects the overall economic growth of our country. However, given that it has borne the brunt of severe economic and political crisis for decades, the key links in the production chain have been broken, especially the processing part which is primary for agrarian recovery. “This is why we increase subsidies every year to raise processing capacities, which are measured in tens of millions of euros, regardless of whether it is the processing of fruit, vegetables or meat. I believe that the results will be getting increasingly better since it takes time for the agriculture to return to solid ground where it once was. Although one can always do better, I am personally to a great extent quite pleased with the direction we are taking,” says Branislav Nedimovic, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management at the beginning of the interview for Energy portal.

EP: Climate change is widely felt in our country, particularly affecting agriculture as the periods of major droughts and floods follow one after another. Is there a national plan for adaptation to changed climate conditions and what concrete measures have been taken so far to mitigate the effects of global warming?

Photo: Private archive of Branislav Nedimovic

Branislav Nedimovic: The Ministry of Agriculture in co-operation with other institutions, developed the document on the impact of climate change on agriculture and prepared the list of proposals for adaptation measures. The first version was developed in 2015 and the second one in 2019. Part of the measures, such as anti-hail nets and irrigation systems, are subsidised by the Ministry through its annual programs, as well as loans for them. In terms of mitigation, harmonisation of legislation with the European Union and IPARD funds lead to it and help reduce agricultural emissions.

EP: Our farmers do a lot of fruit-growing, but the yields are destroyed by hail every year in some parts of the country. In December last year, the first automatic anti-hail system which covers 13 municipalities was launched near Valjevo. What effects are expected in the first year of operation of this system, how many of those systems do we need across Serbia, and when will we purchase them?

Branislav Nedimovic: Since December, the automated defence system from hail has been fully operational on the territory of Valjevo radar centre, which covers the Macvan-Kolubara district, without the municipality of Ljig and with the municipality of Obrenovac. The system was put into operation in phases during 2019, and the fact is that minimal damage caused by hail was recorded the same year on this territory. The efficiency of this system of protection against hail is 70 per cent. There are 13 radar centres in Serbia, and 600 million dinars from the budget of the Ministry for 2020 has been allocated for the automation of the Uzice and Bukulja centres. The budget of Autonomous Province of Vojvodina envisages the modernisation of Fruska gora, Bajsa and Samos radar centres. It should be emphasised that through modernisation of the hail defence system, support in the construction of safety nets and subsidisation of insurance, farmers are provided with the maximum possible protection against this disaster.

EP: The production and buying and selling of genetically modified food in Serbia are forbidden by the Law. However, we can still often hear that we have thousands of acres under GM soybeans, and that, despite the law and border checks, we import products that even exceed 0.9 per cent of GM ingredients. To what extent is this Law implemented and how much does the recently opened National Food Safety Laboratory help?

Branislav Nedimovic: Each shipment that enters our country is the subject of inspection and testing, thus in this respect inspections carry out absolute controls, which means that on our domestic market only GMO-free products can be found. In case that, it is established at the border that goods contain in any respect higher values than allowed, then the destruction or return of the shipment shall be carried out. According to the Law on Genetically Modified Organisms, testing of GMOs and products from GMOs to identify and quantify genetic modification in them is performed by authorised and accredited laboratories which we currently have five. They, for the needs of the Ministry of Agriculture, carry out testing of samples of plants and plant products to identify and quantify genetic modification in the tested sample.

EP: Do you, as a citizen, buy products from the shelves without thinking or you read declarations carefully? Are you filled with apprehension concerning GM food?

Branislav Nedimovic: In this regard, I have no fear when shopping.

EP: How much truth is there in the announcement of a part of the expert public that the Government of Serbia is preparing a Law that will allow GM food on the market? This topic can be heard very often in the media…

Branislav Nedimovic: We are not preparing it. We have a clear applicable law.

In focus:

EP: Water is one of the greatest natural resources of Serbia. However, many rivers are polluted, sources of drinking water, which are not inexhaustible resources, are exploited mainly by foreign companies, and our hydro potential, which is above the European average, is insufficiently utilised, which is why we import electricity. Which of these three issues is your Ministry most focused on and what measures do you take to preserve Serbia’s water resources and use them responsibly?

Photo: Goran Djordjevic

Branislav Nedimovic: Waters are natural resources and owned by the Republic of Serbia and as such cannot be alienated. The Water law lays down appropriate obligations regarding the use, protection and abstraction of drinking water. The Ministry is committed to water protection from the pollution which is reflected in the preparation of regulations and strategic and planning documents (laws and regulations in the field of water, water management strategy, water management plan and others), on the one hand, but also the implementation of these regulations through measures for construction and reconstruction of facilities for collecting and treatment of municipal wastewater in residential areas, implementation of good agricultural practice rules and undertaking of agrotechnical and other measures, as well as implementing all other necessary measures to protect the waters from the pollution. It should be borne in mind that these measures not only require large investments which involve billions of euros but also take time from two to three decades in order to be fully implemented. To implement the enacted measures, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management from the funds of Budget Water Fund of the Republic of Serbia in accordance with the Regulation on Determining Water Management  Program, adopted by the Government for each calendar year, co-finances the construction and reconstruction of water facilities for collection, removal and treatment of wastewaters, as follows: the main collectors, wastewater treatment plants and wastewater collectors, as well as the preparation of technical documentation for these water facilities.

EP: How do we manage forests as our natural resource?

Branislav Nedimovic: Forests in Serbia are managed on the principle of sustainability, which involves managing and using forests and forest land in such a way and to such an extent that biodiversity is preserved, and on the other hand, to meet the relevant environmental, economic and social needs of today and future generations without endangering or damaging any other ecosystem. Forest management in Serbia is carried out in accordance with the Forestry Development Strategy, as the basic strategic document in the forestry sector, and in accordance with the Forest Law, adopted in 2010.

For all forests in Serbia, whether state-owned or privately owned, planning documents are prepared based on which management is carried out. State forests are managed by public enterprises, and private forests are managed by their owners. The state, as the enactor of the Forest Law, monitors its implementation through the Forestry and Hunting Inspection of the Republic of Serbia, which equally monitors the implementation of the Law in both state and private forests.

What are we particularly proud of is the fact that the volume of illegal activities is decreasing year after year, and that the activities that we, as the Ministry, carry out have a great influence on this. Those activities primarily consist of the implementation of preventive measures, and if required by individual cases, even of punitive measures following the Law.

Photo: Vesna Mijailovic

EP: How close are we to achieving the strategy of getting from the current 30 per cent covered with forests to 42 per cent by 2050?

Branislav Nedimovic: According to the data from the National Forest Inventory, carried out in 2004-2006, forest cover in Serbia is 29.1 per cent. However, it should be pointed out that in Serbia we have municipalities like Majdanpek, with about 70 per cent of forest cover, and on the other hand Kikinda with 0.5 per cent. Perhaps it is not necessary to talk about forest cover at the national level but to focus more on increasing the forest cover of the municipalities with the smallest area covered with forest. These are mostly municipalities in Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. A project funded by the Global Environment Facility is currently being implemented, under which a new National Forest Inventory is being carried out.

What we can expect is that the forest cover will certainly be above 30 per cent due to the raising of new forests. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, through the Forest Fund of Serbia, annually allocates funds for afforestation of state forests and private plots. Only in 2019, the funds of this fund intended for afforestation amounted to 80,000,000 dinars, while 90,000,000 of dinars are planned in 2020 90,000,000 of dinars are planned.

Interview by: Tamara Zjacic

This interview was published in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURAL RESOURCES, march – may, 2020

There Are No Winners in the Illegal Trade in Wildlife

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, is an international treaty with 183 Parties–182 states plus the European Union.  It is one of the oldest multilateral agreements to tackle international trade in wildlife and conservation concerns.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

CITES Secretary-General, Ivonne Higuero is an environmental economist, who has been working on issues of sustainable development for more than 26 years. In this interview, she discusses the connection between wildlife trade and the COVID-19 pandemic, and what must be done to reduce the likelihood of future zoonotic disease outbreaks.

Broadly, what does CITES do?

CITES aims to keep the international trade of wild plants and animals legal, sustainable and traceable.

Its Parties take decisions to ensure that international trade of valuable wild species of plants and animals does not endanger their survival in the wild.

Why is illegal trade in wildlife such an important issue; and in what practical ways does it affect our lives?

Illegal wildlife trade has many negative consequences for human well-being and species conservation. When criminal actors trade in endangered species, they weaken entire ecosystems and they threaten essential links of the world’s biological diversity. Biodiversity loss is one of the greatest global threats in our time, and it also means a narrower genetic pool and therefore less resilience to resist diseases of any kind.

Criminal wildlife trafficking networks also undermine states’ abilities to tackle outbreaks of disease, because they force governments to divert human and financial resources that could be allotted to other needs.

What is the significance of wildlife trade in relation to the spread of zoonotic diseases like COVID-19?

Illegal wildlife trade contributes to habitat destruction, which removes necessary buffer zones between humans and wild fauna, making it more likely that animal pathogens come into contact with people. Specimens that are traded illegally are also much less likely to be sold or bought where sanitary standards are being properly enforced, making the spread of diseases more likely.

We know that many emerging infectious diseases in recent times have originated in wild animals. Many of them were not considered illegally-traded CITES-listed species. However, illegal wildlife trade flows will only make these episodes worse, by degrading or bringing people too close to animal habitats, and therefore contributing to the spread of diseases.

How does the United Nations help countries conserve species and protect biodiversity?

United Nations organizations and United Nations-affiliated conventions and agreements, such as CITES, the Convention on Biological Diversity or the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals, provide tools, resources, platforms, and expertise to governments around the world. Organizations such as the UN Environmental Programme help carry out and coordinate essential programmes in the field that contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals related to biodiversity. At the same time, CITES and other multilateral environmental agreements provide a global, legally-binding framework to conserve wildlife and biodiversity, while frequently contributing to build bridges between governments, the private sector and civil society, so that everyone can contribute to this common and essential mission.

What are some of the steps that need to be taken, to prevent the emergence and spread of diseases such as COVID-19?

Currently, there is a lot of discussion around the wildlife trade–both legal and illegal. It is indeed essential that international trade be fully regulated, and that national wildlife legislation and regulations be fully enforced. CITES parties must continue their work towards effective compliance with the Convention; and we have applauded all efforts to reinforce national implementation of CITES measures and local measures to enhance conservation of wild species, especially in key countries. Of course, this is only one part of the puzzle.

There is a need to have a better balance between humans and nature. This means stopping the destruction and degradation of habitats, deforestation and undesirable land conversion. We must raise the quality and enforcement of sanitary and phytosanitary standards and regulations; change unsustainable consumption and production patterns; rethink ways of connecting globally; and take many other actions to reduce risks that lead us to these global pandemics.

What’s your call to action?

The World Economic Forum found that over half of the world’s GDP is highly- or moderately-dependent on nature. Furthermore, the livelihoods of millions of people around the world rely on wildlife as a source of income and protein. Governments must rebuild post COVID-19 by investing in nature, in the compliance and enforcement of biodiversity-related conventions, in reducing the destruction and degradation of habitats and in the conservation and sustainable use of wild species to reduce the likelihood of future pandemics resulting from zoonotic diseases.

Source: UNEP

Insects Populations Have Been Declining for Nearly 100 Years, Study Reveals

Photo-illustration: Pixabay
  • Insect populations have been steadily changing over recent years.
  • A new study, based on 41 countries across 5 continents has found that land-based insects have been declining at a rate of 1% each year.
  • Scientists still do not fully understand the cause for decline.
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

When did you last see a glow worm? Most likely, quite some time ago. Depending on how young you are, you may have never seen one at all. Those light-emitting insects, Wordsworth’s “earthborn stars”, have been declining in the UK for decades. That means that scientists now see them in fewer places, and even in those pockets where conditions are right for them, there are fewer of them to be found.

But it isn’t just glow worms that are struggling. You’ll have heard reports that insects are declining in many parts of the world, with fewer of them around and some species disappearing altogether. Many people have noted that the number of “splats” you’re likely to see on a car windscreen in summer is now much lower compared with 20 years ago, and this has even been confirmed by a scientific study. As scientists who study insects, we’re right to be worried, but how sure can we be sure of the general picture if we only have information about particular species in particular places?

Fortunately, a new study has offered the clearest indication yet of how insects all over the world are faring. The researchers studied data on the numbers and total weight of insects and arachnids (spiders and mites) sampled in 166 long-term surveys. Each of these lasted more than ten years and recorded insects at 1,676 sites in 41 countries on five continents. The earliest record was from 1925, and the most recent from 2018, although most records were dated from 1986 or later.

They estimate that land-based insects, which make up the majority of species, have been declining at nearly 1% per year, or almost 9% per decade. But during the same period, the small proportion of insects which live in freshwater experienced a 1% annual increase, or just over 11% per decade.

A complicated picture

Does this give us cause to be relatively cheerful (or at least, less miserable)? Hardly. While these estimates of how rapidly insect populations are declining are much lower than some previous estimates, it’s still serious. The general rate of decline may be an underestimate, too – most of the long-term data came from protected populations of insects in nature reserves.

Even if you’re not enamoured with creepy crawlies, their gradual disappearance from the places they were once numerous is an ongoing crisis for the natural world. Insects and small invertebrates occupy the bottom rungs of most terrestrial ecosystems. As ecologist E.O. Wilson once observed, if you take away the “little things that run the world” then most of the creatures occupying niches further up the food chain will disappear too, and that includes humans. That’s why a 2017 study in Germany rang so many alarm bells – it reported a 75% decline over 27 years in the local biomass of all kinds of flying insects.

But what does a “general decline” mean? It doesn’t mean that every kind of insect is affected in the same way. Several recent studies have shown that some species are able to prosper while their close relatives die out. A study of wild pollinators (bees and hoverflies) in the UK between 1980 and 2013 showed that around 10% of these insects increased in abundance while more than 30% declined. The insects that did well were crop specialist pollinators, those that didn’t were those specialists that preferred plants pushed out of farmed landscapes.

It’s a complicated picture, but the sheer number of records collected under different conditions from diverse sources in this new study gives grim confirmation that something is very wrong.

What it means for conservation

While the picture of widespread insect declines is becoming a little clearer, we still don’t know the cause. The new study found some evidence that the growth of cities and towns nearby was detrimental to insect abundance. Perhaps surprisingly, there was little evidence for insect populations being harmed by neighbouring intensive agriculture, but this might have been because those sites were already depleted of insects when the study began.

There was also no evidence for climate change affecting insect abundance. Terrestrial insects seemed to be worst affected in Europe and North America, with insects in Asia, South America and Oceania showing no great declines. This likely reflects the fact that there’s less information from these places, though. Interestingly, terrestrial insect populations in North America have recovered markedly since 1990, while those in Europe have shrunk still further. There is no obvious explanation for this.

The apparent healthiness of aquatic insects confirms the results of a recent UK study, which suggested that EU legislation to clean up rivers throughout Europe may be working. Sounds encouraging, but fresh water only covers 2.4% of the Earth’s land surface. The comparative success of aquatic insects doesn’t make up for everywhere else, and it might even conceal the collapse of some water dwellers, like water beetles and the superabundant mayfly swarms of the North American Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi which used to number in the tens of billions but have declined by around 50% in recent years.

The German federal government recently approved €100 million for insect conservation, with a quarter of it going towards research. Knowing where and why certain species are struggling is as important as trying to fix it. Insects are in trouble, but each bug faces its own battle. Support for our arthropod friends will need to be carefully targeted.

Source: WEF

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