SAMANTHA ZEITZ
It is no secret that some areas of Asia are huge contributors to global warming. People living in Asian cities face some of the worst effects of greenhouse gas emissions and energy waste according to medical scientists. At least one part of Asia appears to be stepping up to try to deal with industry’s part in the problem.
A few years back, Singapore pledged to stabilize and limit its yearly greenhouses gas emissions to approximately 65 million tonnes by 2030. This was part of the country’s commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat. Part of the pledge stipulated that Singapore would try to reduce its emissions “intensity” by 36 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. Emission intensity is the amount of greenhouse gas emitted per dollar of gross domestic product.
What is interesting to note is that many countries have pledged to take action on energy efficiency since the Paris Climate Talks (2015) and continue to struggle with energy plans, yet Singapore, which has one of the lowest emissions intensity levels globally is acting on their pledge.
The Government in Singapore plans to help the industrial sector improve energy efficiency levels by adjusting the Energy Conservation Act. Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Massages Zulkifli has said there will be improvements made to current energy efficiency measures, as well as the introduction of new initiatives.
The industrial sector is responsible for 59 percent of all emissions produced in Singapore. Since April 2013, those using 54 or more terajoules a year were required to have a certified energy manager who would report energy use and emissions levels. In a recent consultation, energy managers said that government grants will play a key role in further improving emissions.
Meanwhile, a country known for its soaring emissions problems has some feel-good energy news to report. India is now home to the first industrial plant to reuse it’s own carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to produce valuable chemicals.
CO2 emissions from coal boilers have been separated using a new, patented chemical. The stripped CO2 emissions are then reused to create chemicals such as baking soda. It’s estimated that this project will prevent 60,000 tons of CO2 from escaping into the atmosphere a year. The inventors of the patented chemical believe this technology could reduce the worlds coal emissions by five to 10 percent.
Two young Indian chemists invented the patented chemical, but their firm had difficulty raising the money to finance the development of it in their country so a UK government sponsored entrepreneur support program backed the project. Their company, Carbon Clean Solutions is now headquartered in London. The company plans to set up small-scale plants that “de-risk” the technology and thus make it a normal commercial option.
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi is following this new technology with great interest. He hopes that 40 percent of his country’s energy will come from renewable sources by 2030.