Rising demands for energy in the Asian region has been one of the focus of discussions during an open forum held at the 40th Annual Meeting of civil society representatives from the different parts of the world in Kyoto, Japan.
Among the issues raised include hydropower, clean energy program, coal energy, and power sector privatization. If these programs are to be sustained, the region at least needs a total investments of between US$6 trillion to US$9 trillion until the year 2030, the Asian Development Bank said in its report.
According to Shyam Bajpai, deputy director general in ADB’s Regional and Sustainable Development Department, the demand for energy in the Asia-Pacific has to be met in a sustainable way.
Managing the environment is one of the five strategic priorities under the ADB’s Medium-Term Strategy and assistance to clean energy is one of the interventions identified in this strategic priority, reports the ADB.
Expanding its energy policy in 1995, one of the ADB’s strategies is to place greater focus on energy security and climate change through the promotion of cleaner, more efficient and less polluting sources and technologies, and the greater use of indigenous forms of renewable energy.
In fact, ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda has called on the participation of the civil society groups in the development of the ADB’s energy strategy over the coming months, including safeguards of its policies.
The ADB president said that rapid development in Asia is having a direct impact on the environment. "In this context, meeting Asia’s energy needs is going to be a tough challenge," he said.
According to the ADB’s Energy Strategy Plan, energy consumption in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow faster than the rest of the world.
ADB will conduct four sub-regional consultations workshops across the Asia-Pacific to secure feedbacks on the draft energy strategy sometime between June and July this year.
The sub-regional workshops will be held in Kazakhstan, India, the Philippines, and the People’s Republic of China.
Source: ADB
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