U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Friday that much faster action is needed to stem global warming and wealthy nations can lead by example in cutting carbon emissions that are major contributor to it.
Granholm said this after touring the world’s first and only liquefied hydrogen carrier, a ship that showcases Japanese efforts to transform heavily polluting coal into emissions-free hydrogen power as senior energy and environment officials from the Group of Seven advanced economies are in Hokkaido in northern Japan this week for meetings on climate change, energy security and related issues.
Member nations set a common goal of achieving a fully or predominantly decarbonized electricity supply by 2035 during the G-7 summit in May last year.
She noted that 90% of the new generating capacity that came online globally last year is from renewable sources but decried the fact that carbon emissions are continuing to rise despite massive investments in cleaner energy.
“So this is happening. The tectonic plates are shifting, and it has to happen more quickly,” she said, pointing to U.S. efforts to curb emissions in transportation and power generation and other steps toward “decarbonization” of many industries.
Still, the approval of major fossil fuel projects such as the Willow project in Alaska has been met with unfavourable response as critics say it not only runs counter to President Joe Biden’s pledges to cut carbon emissions and move to clean energy but also has some unwelcome environmental impact.
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Environmentalists have condemned Japan’s strategy of relying on fossil fuels such as coal, even with technologies like carbon capture that prevent emissions from escaping into the atmosphere, and also its failure to more fully embrace renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. They accused the Asian country of failing to set a persuasive example for other major polluters such as China and India.
Nonetheless, Granholm said that moves toward embracing renewable, clean energy sources, including hydrogen “give hope to others to be able to do it as the technology lowers the cost.”
The Biden administration is turning to hydrogen as an energy source for vehicles, manufacturing and generating electricity and has put $8 billion on offer to entice the nation’s industries, engineers and planners to figure out how to produce and deliver clean hydrogen.
“We’re interested in taking this to the next level in making sure that it can be derived from clean sources,” Granholm said.
The Department of Energy has estimated that at least $85 billion is needed to establish a U.S. hydrogen industry.
Story was adapted from AP.
