Climate Changes & Environmental Issues..

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Central Department for Climate Change, Egypt.

2 Egyptian Environmental Affairs agency, Egypt.

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Climate change and energy are two sides for on coin as e nergy sector is one of the main
sources of greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warm ing, as statistics indicate that
global energy consumption in various applications cause carbon dioxide emissions at the
global level. The world has put the issue of energy availability at the top of the global agenda,
as the global energy demand is expect ed to be doubled by 2050; Hence, the main purpose
today is to work for sustainable development at both the economic and environmental
protection levels to support global prosperity in a sustainable manner, and this requires careful
planning by governments, institutions and civil society to reach this goal. Hence, as energy
security, is the opposite side of the climate -change coin it is needed to adopt a variety of
measures that aim at reducing dependence on fossil fuels and carbon emissions: investing in
renewable sources like solar, wind, geothermal and biomass energy installations and adopting
policies that reduce energy consumption and improve efficiency. Egypt is one of the first
countries that have taken positive steps in the areas of energy conservatio n to preserve the
environment and achieve sustainable development. In this context, the Egyptian strategy for
energy supply and use aims to increase sustainable sources of energy to meet the growing
needs of economic growth and development for present and future generations, and to attract
more investments to increase access to renewable energy sources, such as solar energy and
wind energy, so as to increase their share of the total energy to 20% by 2020 as agreed by the
Supreme Council of Energy in Februar y 2008 on an ambitious plan aimed at the contribution
of renewable energies by 20% of the total electric energy generated by 2020, with
contributions from wind power by 12%. The strategy aims also to increase energy production
through the application of appropriate policies to rationalize and raise the efficiency of energy
use. These policies should be to review the structure of energy pricing in both industrial and
household sectors to discriminate between affording and other categories, and the protection
of low income people and alleviate the burden placed on them and provide support to eligible
beneficiaries. The strategy also includes restructuring the energy sector in Egypt in
accordance with the overall future vision and strengthen the role of the sta te and the
relationship between producers and consumers of energy and diversification of sources, to
secure supplies, as well as the restructuring of the Supreme Council for the peaceful uses of
nuclear energy, in order to activate its role in compliant po licies and adopting projects related
to the program of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, in order to strengthen its powers to inspect
nuclear plants to ensure the safety and operating efficiency, and starting the operational steps
to build the first nuclear plant in Egypt to generate nuclear power by 2017, and cooperation
with international partners and the International Atomic Energy Agency in the context of
transparency and respect for Egypt''s obligations under the Convention. Hence it became
necessary to raise awareness of the vital importance of energy, and the need to rationalize
their use in homes, factories, and various production sites and services; to make this
awareness and rationalization as a rule for behavior and lifestyle in the end.