Participation of Renewable Energies in Climate Change Conventions

As the modern civilization grows in population, the demand for energy also increases. We need more energy to provide electricity for our homes and appliances. We need more energy to sustain the growing demand of different products and services. In other words, additional energy is needed for the modern civilization to keep its progress.

However, the sources for energy production are fast depleting. Fossil fuels such as coal reserves and natural gas deposits are starting to run out due to the increasing demand rate. More automobiles and other means of transportation are produced, many buildings and other structures are erected, and many industries are starting to modernize their operation.

In addition, the aforementioned development causes major changes in our environment. Take for instance the massive production of Freon gas which is one genre of coolant in our refrigerators and freezers. Researches found out that Freon gas actually has an adverse effect on the earth’s atmosphere, particularly in its ozone layer.

Even the usage of non-renewable sources of energy is also blamed for extremely hot or extremely cold weather also known as global warming. Burning coals (which is made of carbon) and different fuels produce greenhouse gases that further contribute to the global warming we are presently experiencing.

Many environmental advocates are starting to make some serious campaign to fight global warming. They endorsed that households, communities, and industries make use of renewable sources of energy to generate electricity. Aside from it is abundant in our environment, it is pollution-free. There are no greenhouse gases that are emitted in usage of such alternative energy sources.

They also appeal to the United Nations to draft a convention that will help conserve the Earth’s atmosphere and prevent drastic changes in our climate. In response to this clamors not only by this advocates but also by most people around the world, United Nations approved the Climate Change Convention of 1992. Of what it is and the renewable energy’s participation in such convention will be discussed in the preceding sections of this article.

What is Climate Change Convention?

It is a United Nation’s resolution to stabilize greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere at a certain level that would prevent drastic changes to the climate. It was unanimously agreed and ratified by 186 member-countries at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992.

A protocol was drafted in Kyoto in 1997 to start implementing what is agreed in the Climate Change Convention. Its most important phase is the legally binding commitments for 39 developed member-countries (which includes the United States) to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by an average of 5.2 percent. The protocol allows them to reach their emission target in different ways. One of these ways is the utilization of renewable energy sources and increasing energy efficiency.

Role of Renewable Energy in the Convention

As we all know, renewable energy refers to energy with low impact on the environment. It includes wind, solar, water, and biomass energy. The Convention encourages member-countries of UN to patronize the usage and development of these energies through their respective Department of Energy (DOE). Electricity and tax rebates in using renewable energy are some ways of encouraging everybody to use such kind of energy.

It also encourages competitive energy markets to strengthen energy investment which can be helpful in funding studies and development of these renewable energies. Currently, solar energy as a fuel for transportation and industry is still undergoing. Biomass fuels are also considered to be a good replacement for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) once its development are already in place.

The Climate Change Convention is just a way to promote healthy atmosphere and at the same time renewable energy resources. It is time that we must act now or suffer the adverse consequences later on.