The India’s stand that the current climate change negotiations under the auspices of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) are being skewed in favor of of the industrialized nations got another shot in the arm this week. Purported pre-release of a McKinsey report projects that India will continue to be one of the LEAST Carbon Intensive countries in the world despite an economic growth rate of 7.5%. This second endorsement follows the recent report by the World Bank saying that India is right in resisting the mandatory emissions reduction.
Picture: A Coal Man in Mysore (India)
A “green economy” can be built in China in less than 20 years, argues a new McKinsey report. The new study, “China’s Green Revolution“, offers the most comprehensive quantitative analysis to date of China’s abatement cost curve.
Previous studies of a similar ilk, like the Stern Review, have incorporated social benefits to partially offset the cost of scaling up energy efficient and clean technologies. In contrast, the latest McKinsey report considers only technology-related costs and attaches a figure to the cost of green initiatives in China.
So what is the final damage? While costs are negative for upgrades in some industries, like buildings, due to the savings generated from energy efficiency improvements, a total 1.5-2 trillion yuan (USD 220-295 billion) would have to be spent every year until 2030 in order to reach McKinsey’s alternative scenario.
By Amiel Blajchman •
February 5, 2009
Have you been looking for a quick cheat sheet to understand the mechanics behind carbon capture and storage (CCS), which is one of the technologies envisioned by President Obama to allow the United States to use coal as a clean energy source? Well, global consulting company McKinsey recently published a guide to the technologies behind CCS in this nifty interactive graphic display (note that you need to sign up for a free account with the McKinsey Quarterly to view it).
