Contributing Writers: Azad Ali, Tangerine Clarke,
George Alleyne, Nelson King,
Vinette K. Pryce, Bert Wilkinson
GENERAL INFORMATION (718) 260-2500
Caribbean Life, D 10 ecember 20-26, 2019
By Tareq Emtariah
Tareq Emtariah is director
of the Department of Energy
at the United Nations Industrial
Development Organization
(UNIDO)
VIENNA, Dec 13, 2019
(IPS) - At a time when the
world is battling unprecedented
drought, bushfires,
rising sea levels and water
shortages, reducing energy
use across industry is one
powerful way to fight climate
change in the immediate
term.
However, historic slowdowns
in energy efficiency
progress persist. As we conclude
another Conference of
Parties (COP25) on climate
change, and move into a new
decade with unprecedented
environmental challenges,
governments have to put
industrial energy efficiency
back on the agenda before it
is too late.
I have worked in the energy
sector for nearly 25 years.
During this time, I have
witnessed some incredible
advances. Yet, now, when we
should be doing everything
in our power to reduce the
unnecessary use of fossil
fuels, we are instead witnessing
a slowing of progress on
energy efficiency, with the
International Energy Agency
reporting last month that
progress on energy efficiency
had declined to its slowest
rate since this decade began.
Among the many reasons
for this “historic slowdown”
is a lack of national
government commitment
for the cause, which is seriously
hampering wide-scale
change.
Prioritising industrial
energy efficiency is one way
that governments can simultaneously
ease pressure on
the economy, enhance energy
security and the environment
in the here and now.
It’s what we at UNIDO refer
to as the “invisible solution.”
A large-scale shift toward
more energy efficient practices
in industry would enable
companies to massively
reduce their power bills. In
economic terms, industrial
energy efficiency can
increase productivity, lower
manufacturing costs, and
create more jobs.
When it comes to the
environment, the widespread
adoption of energy
efficiency measures could
reduce industrial energy use
by over 25%. This potential
is a significant reduction of
8% in the global energy use
and 12.4% reduction in global
CO2 emissions.
With this in mind, here are
five practical steps governments
can take to harness
industrial energy efficiency
against climate change:
1. Phasing out fossil fuel
subsidies, at least for those
industries which are large
enough to afford it. Analysis
commissioned by the IMF
this year found that if fossil
fuels had been priced appropriately,
global carbon emissions
would be reduced by 28
per cent and governments
revenues would increase 3.8
per cent of GDP. Developed
economies and nations such
as those in the United States
and European Union should
be leading by example on
this issue.
Meanwhile, in major
emerging economies like
Argentina, Indonesia, South
Africa, Turkey and Russia
fossil fuel subsidies have
historically kept the cost of
energy artificially low.
As a result, there has
never really been a major
concern for industries to
makes changes. When
industries don’t fully understand
the potential of energy
efficiency, and energy costs
are bearable, it’s a lot easier
for them to become complacent.
One just has to look to
Morocco for inspiration.
In 2014 the North African
nation ended subsidies of
gasoline and fuel oil and
begun to cut diesel subsidies
as part of its drive to repair
public finances.
Fast forward to today
and Morocco is considered
one of the most progressive
countries when it comes to
its national energy commitments
and efforts to prioritise
industrial energy efficiency.
2. Breaking down barriers
to finance. In developing
economies in particular,
investors’ lack of awareness
of the commercial benefits of
best practices in energy efficiency
is preventing much
needed investment. In countries
like Brazil, ‘high-risk’
perceptions surrounding
energy efficiency projects
mean that interest rates are
often impossibly high for
companies eager to invest in
industrial energy efficiency
advancements.
The public sector must
pinpoint the best ways to
design and implement
energy efficiency policies to
effectively mobilise finance
and investment. Co-funded
blended finance schemes,
tax breaks, financial sector
training and project bundling
are just some of the
many ways governments
can help to simultaneously
incentivise and de-risk
investments into industrial
energy efficiency.
Improving the com-
The public advocate’s office
has created a new rite of winter
in its publication of the
“Worst Landlords List,” an
annual rundown of property
owners across the city who
are notorious for neglecting
their buildings and tenants.
These landlords demand
prompt payment of monthly
rent from their residents
while subjecting them to
terrible conditions — from
rodent infestation, to mold,
to broken infrastructure, and
more. Even with the incursion
of violations from city
agencies, as the Worst Landlords
List outlines, many of
those property owners continue
to ignore them.
But there is one entity
which Public Advocate
Jumaane Williams said on
Monday tops every other
bad landlord in the city —
the New York City Housing
Authority (NYCHA).
For years now, NYCHA has
been vilified for failing to adequately
address the myriad
problems on its properties:
boiler breakdowns in the dead
of winter, broken elevators,
plumbing problems, mold
growth, just to name a few.
The de Blasio Administration
has taken plenty of
heat for the situation, which
wound up in federal court. A
federal monitor was appointed
to make sure that NYCHA
cleaned up its act. The leadership
at NYCHA was also
shaken up to ensure a new,
more positive direction.
And yet, as Williams noted
Monday, there are still some
350,000 outstanding NYCHA
work orders for improvements
— which is actually up
from 2018.
With the neglect and disrepair
so extensive, one could
argue that it was only natural
to expect things at NYCHA
to get worse before they
could get better. But its track
record of failure, and years
of ignorance from City Hall,
does not leave much room for
enthusiasm.
Although Williams identified
NYCHA as the city’s
“worst landlord,” the title
ought to instead go to City
Hall and the Mayor’s office.
The buck stops with the people
at the top, the legislators
and the city’s chief executive,
both of whom are responsible
for NYCHA’s stewardship.
The neglect goes back several
administrations, however,
so we’re not going to
scapegoat specific lawmakers
who presently or previously
occupy city government.
But it would be absolutely
refreshing if the de Blasio
administration, and whoever
succeeds it, would fully
reform and repair NYCHA
with the same vigor and commitment
as they’ve instituted
other recent, important public
policy changes.
The residents of NYCHA
deserve a caring landlord,
and a livable home. Our city
is obligated to provide them
both.
OP-EDS
Continued on Page 11
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Industrial energy efficiency
is a climate solution
City must commit
to full NYCHA fix
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