Is it possible to decrease carbon emissions and increase economy growth?

Larderello, Italy — Global economic growth is generally tied to industrialization and commercialization. Historically, richer countries have more access to advanced technologies in transportation and energy consumption.

But as global temperature rises, the course of history changes too. The world could simply not afford a free-for-all carbon emission. Recent climate talks promise a deep decarbonization by 2050, aiming for a zero net carbon in the second half of this century to keep global temperature preferably below 1.5C.

But is decarbonization actually feasible for global economy? Can “Green Growth” actually be achieved? In a study conducted by World Resources Institute, a climate think-tank based in the United States, 21 out of 67 countries have succeeded in decreasing their carbon emissions while growing their gross domestic product (GDP) from 2000 to 2014.

The US, for example, has had 28 percent increase in GDP while cutting carbon emission by 6 percent. UK also grew its economy by 27 percent with a 20 percent decline of carbon emission.

A report by International Energy Agency also had a similar finding: While the global economy has grown by 6.5 percent, global carbon emissions from energy-related activities have not risen since 2013. Two of the largest carbon emitters and economic superpowers, China and the US, have both registered declines in emissions at about 1.5 percent.

“We are seeing growths in zero-carbon mobility. It is a very positive trend in terms of emissions.

Awareness will hopefully push politicians to act,” William Becker, Executive Director of the Presidential Climate Action Project said during the Greenaccord 14th International Forum for the Protection of Nature held in Larderello, Italy.

Divesting from fossil fuels and a competitive market for renewable energy are key drivers of change to encourage financial investors and governments to support decarbonization.

Italy's Tuscan region is reducing its carbon emission by investing in geothermal power

In order to achieve the climate pledges, however, every nation must contribute to accelerate this “decoupling.” The goal is to continue a trend of global decarbonization, but clearly, not all countries are keen on contributing.

Emissions continue to rise in Asia and Middle East. The Philippines, for example, is building 25 coal-fired power plants in the next decade. President Rodrigo Duterte is resorting to a cheaper option of power source as coal remains the most viable source of energy to achieve industrialization.

William Becker of Presidential Climate Action Project talks about decarbonization in Larderello, Italy

In a report released by Department of Energy, coal remains the top source for power generation in the Philippines, accounting for 47.7 percent of the total power generated. Oil-based power like diesel and gas turbine accounts for 6.2 percent, natural gas for 21.9 percent and renewable energy for 24.2 percent. Coal consumption has also been steadily increasing over the past years.

Source: Department of Energy 2016 Coal Statistics

Duterte defends the country’s reliance on coal as the country needs to grow at par with other developing countries in terms of industrialization. Shifting to renewable energy also proves to be a costly venture for many Filipinos. A case in point is Duterte’s plan to replace carbon-emitting jeepneys with environment-friendly electric vehicles. These e-jeepneys, pegged at 1 million pesos each, has been widely criticized by commuters and drivers for being too costly.

Mark Campanale, Founder and Executive Director of Carbon Tracker Initiative, said that the key to less reliance on coal in terms of power generation is a local-based shift to renewable energy. “It is wrong to believe that economy can only be driven by coal plants. What you can do is put the power to the people and develop clean energy like wind or solar power in local communities,” he said.

“The cost for sustainable energy is increasingly dropping. Companies are underestimating an increasing role of renewable industry in economies,” Campanale added.

Renewable energy is largely an untapped domain for the Philippines with wind (1.1 percent) and solar energy (1.2 percent) accounting to only more than 2 percent of the country’s power generation source. Geothermal energy remains a promising source accounting for 12.2 percent according to DOE’s 2016 Power Statistics. If these resources are tapped, they can successfully enter the market and reach competitive prices for citizens, Campanale said. — LA, GMA News