The Asia-Pacific region accounts for more than half of the world's carbon emissions, how to move forward with green, low-carbon and high-quality development?
At present, green and low-carbon transformation has become a global consensus. As one of the most dynamic growth zones of the global economy and one of the fastest-growing regions in energy consumption, the Asia-Pacific region (short for Asia and Pacific Rim) is full of potential opportunities, challenges and complexities on the road to near-zero emissions.
In response to climate change, what should the Asia-Pacific region do in the future to promote energy transition and achieve green and low-carbon development? This is also the topic of concern at the 24th East Asia and Western Pacific Power Industry Association Conference held recently.
The Asia-Pacific region has a large demand for energy consumption, and the task of carbon emission reduction is heavy
It is understood that at present, countries around the world have successively set "double carbon" goals in line with the national conditions of each country. As of September 2023, more than 150 countries around the world have announced carbon neutrality commitments, covering more than 80% of the world's CO2 emissions, GDP and population.
In this context, the urgency of green transformation and low-carbon development in the energy sector in the Asia-Pacific region has become more prominent.
The reason is that the Asia-Pacific region accounts for 1/3 of the world's population, accounts for more than 60% of the world's economy, and nearly half of trade, resulting in a large demand for energy resources.
Wu Xuan, Secretary-General of the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization, pointed out that the green transformation and low-carbon development of the energy sector in the Asia-Pacific region have long faced major challenges in three aspects.
First, the demand for energy is large. At present, the primary energy consumption in the Asia-Pacific region has reached 8.9 billion tons of standard coal, accounting for 43% of the world's total, and energy demand will increase by 48% by 2050.
Second, the task of emission reduction is heavy. Fossil fuels account for 84% of primary energy consumption in the Asia-Pacific region, and the annual carbon dioxide emissions reach more than 17 billion tons, accounting for more than half of the carbon emissions of global energy consumption.
Third, the power supply is insufficient. At present, the annual electricity consumption of the Asia-Pacific region is only 2,990 kWh, which is lower than the world average, and there are still 130 million people without electricity.
It can be seen that the Asia-Pacific region is a key factor in the global green energy transition, and it is also an important piece of the puzzle in the world's green and low-carbon development map.
In this context, the development and utilization of renewable energy has become the key to promoting sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.
Wu Xuan pointed out: "The Asia-Pacific region is very rich in hydro, wind and solar energy resources, accounting for 28%, 20% and 24% of the world's reserves respectively. However, these renewable energy sources are unevenly distributed and have strong spatio-temporal complementarity. ”
"There is still a large imbalance in the development of energy and power in the Asia-Pacific region and the process of energy transition. According to Fei Zhi, vice chairman of GCL Group Co., Ltd., "For example, China's total installed capacity of photovoltaic, wind power and hydropower has ranked first in the world for many years, but the difference in economic development level and energy resource endowment between countries in the Asia-Pacific region has led to an obvious differentiation pattern in the development of power in the Asia-Pacific region." The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the goal of universal access to electricity by 2030, still pose challenges in the Asia-Pacific region, thus affecting the progress of global carbon neutrality. ”
Promote the construction of the Asia-Pacific Energy Interconnection and promote sustainable development
"At present, mankind is facing severe challenges such as climate change, environmental pollution, and lack of resources. Promoting green and low-carbon energy development is an urgent task shared by all countries in the world, and building a global energy interconnection is the basic carrier for promoting the world's energy transition. Wu Xuan said that as an important part of the global energy interconnection, the construction of the Asia-Pacific energy interconnection can effectively promote the green, low-carbon and high-quality development of energy and power in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to reports, the global energy interconnection can promote clean energy production, electrification of consumption, and globalization of allocation, which is an important way to promote green, low-carbon and sustainable development, and is a powerful engine to lead the upgrading of the industrial chain and ecological chain and promote high-quality economic and social development.
"The Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization has conducted an in-depth survey of the resource endowment, energy demand and economic and social development of the Asia-Pacific region, formed a report on the research and prospect of power interconnection in the Asia-Pacific region, and put forward the construction plan of the Asia-Pacific energy interconnection. Fei Zhi believes that "the construction of the Asia-Pacific Energy Internet can realize the large-scale development of clean energy, optimize the relevant allocation on a large scale, and then promote the efficient use of clean energy." ”
In addition, the construction of the Asia-Pacific Energy Interconnection is also in line with the development trend of the energy transition in the Asia-Pacific region in the future.
According to Liu Shenghui, general manager of Zhejiang Energy Group Co., Ltd., the energy transition in the Asia-Pacific region will present three major characteristics in the future.
The first is the electrification of the energy system. Compared with other energy varieties, the utilization efficiency of the electric energy end is high, which can reach more than 90%, which is an extremely important path to achieve carbon neutrality. At present, the level of electrification of global final energy consumption is not high, at only 19%. It is expected that the global electrification level will increase to 50% to 70% by 2050, and in the future, electricity-centric power stations will be established in an orderly manner.
The second is the ecology of electricity, and the new round of energy revolution is characterized by the electrification of the energy industry and the cleaner production of electricity. Renewable energy supply in the Asia-Pacific region is forecast to grow at an average annual rate of 11.6% over the next three years.
The third is the internationalization of low-carbon transformation. In the past, markets such as coal, crude oil, and liquefied natural gas were typical of globalization. The future green energy transition is not only the establishment of a new system, but also the decline of the old system.
Under the development trend of global energy green transformation, some people in the industry said that if the Asia-Pacific region develops large bases and distributed clean energy according to local conditions, promotes the electrification of energy consumption, realizes the substitution of electric energy in the fields of industry, transportation, construction, industry and commerce, and residents' lives, and uses electricity to bring coal, oil, and gas to electricity, it can promote Asia-Pacific countries to better respond to major challenges in the fields of resources, climate, and environment, open up new economic growth points, and jointly achieve sustainable development goals.
The comprehensive benefits of the Asia-Pacific Energy Interconnection are huge, and all parties should work together
In fact, the comprehensive benefits of building the Asia-Pacific Energy Interconnection are huge. The interconnection of low-carbon power systems can help improve regional energy security, while enabling consumers to enjoy affordable and reliable power information technology.
"Building an Asia-Pacific energy interconnection can guarantee power supply. By 2050, the Asia-Pacific region will have an installed power capacity of 17 billion kilowatts, and a trans-continental transmission capacity of 190 million kilowatts, with an average annual electricity consumption increase of 1.7 times compared with today, so that everyone can enjoy sustainable and clean energy. Wu Xuan said.
"Green electricity from China's deserts, Gobi, barren beaches, and large wind and solar bases can also be transmitted to large industrial users in neighboring countries, and can also light up the underdeveloped regions of the Asia-Pacific region to help them say goodbye to high-pollution and high-energy energy. Clean energy is easily used in heat spraying, heating, transportation, transportation and other aspects. Fei Zhi pointed out.
In addition, "the construction of the Asia-Pacific Energy Interconnection can also accelerate the clean transformation of the region. By 2050, the proportion of clean energy installed capacity will reach 93%, energy carbon emissions will be reduced by more than 70% compared with 2010, and carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides will be reduced by 60 million tons per year. According to Wu Xuan, the construction of the Asia-Pacific energy interconnection is also conducive to promoting economic development, and the cumulative investment in the construction of the Asia-Pacific energy interconnection will exceed 15 trillion US dollars, which will effectively drive the coordinated and efficient development of energy infrastructure and upstream and downstream industries, and create 130 million jobs.
However, Li Xiangliang, deputy general manager of China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd., said that for a long time in the future, the Asia-Pacific region will face strong growth in energy demand, imbalance in energy resources and infrastructure, and heavy tasks for clean and low-carbon transformation, which requires all parties in the Asia-Pacific region to work together to deal with it.
"It is imperative for all parties in the Asia-Pacific region to work together to promote the green and low-carbon transformation of energy and power. Fei Zhi also said.
Original topic: The Asia-Pacific region accounts for more than half of the world's carbon emissions every year
It is necessary to build an Asia-Pacific energy interconnection to promote the green, low-carbon and high-quality development of energy and power in the Asia-Pacific region
