Government’s carbon reduction strategy in the light of climate change proposes a 15 per cent reduction target for the power generation, transportation and industrial sectors by the year 2040, says Public Utilities Minister Ganga Singh.
At Thursday’s post-cabinet media briefing, he said Cabinet had approved the initiative which would facilitate the adoption of a Carbon Reduction Strategy, as well as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions that would form part of T&T’s response to the global issue of climate change, in a bid to protect and preserve the environment.
Singh said United Nations World Meteorological Organisation data showed that 14 of the 15 hottest years on record had occurred since 2000, with the first four months of 2015 being the warmest such period on record across the world’s land and ocean surfaces.
“It is also predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that this year will set a new all-time record as 2015 is 0.1°C hotter than last year, which itself was the hottest year on record.
“Consequently, the Government has recognised the importance of addressing climate change both from a mitigation and adaptation perspective...Further, it is held that response to climate change is even more pertinent within the context of T&T given its Small Island Developing State (SIDS) status. [This makes it] highly vulnerable to temperature increases, changes in precipitation and sea level rise which exacerbate issues of flooding, increased frequency and intensity of hurricanes, hillside erosion and loss of coastal habitats.”
Singh said climate change must be considered a consequence of human activity. Government’s National Climate Change Policy to give effect to a low-carbon developmental path would, therefore, be executed through the Carbon Reduction Strategy.
This woud comprise a combination of approaches to achieve the proposed target, including policy instruments, knowledge and awareness to elicit behavioural changes, and direct technology intervention options such as clean technology, fuel switching and renewable energy and energy efficient technologies.
Rolling out cng
In the development of this strategy, the following activities were undertaken:
• The development of a business-as-usual (BAU) model to estimate future economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions in the three sectors;
• Technical analyses of the industrial, transportation and power generation sectors so as to identify possible policy interventions for the emissions reduction;
• Wide stakeholder consultation and participation consisting of over 175 representatives of government ministries, agencies and institutions, academia, the private and industrial sectors, amongst others.
Singh said action had already been taken to implement some of the proposals. The conversion of buses and maxi taxis under the CNG Company Ltd programme to promote the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) has already resulted in emissions reductions in the public transportation sector, while the ambition to increase the percentage of CNG vehicles in the future would contribute to further reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from this sector.
“Just three days ago, the Water and Sewerage Authority, the National Gas Company, and CNG Company Ltd signed a Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the expanded utilisation of compressed natural gas in the authority’s fleet of vehicles. So this Government has been exploring all avenues for building a greener economy,” Singh said.