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Can African countries be bold on carbon neutrality like Costa Rica? 22 Feb 2016

International conferences where issues on climate change are debated are quite important. Even more so when strategies for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are on the agenda. But after the dialogues come the real work when delegates go back to their operational bases. Costa Rica is one of the countries that has moved from talk to real action in terms of sustainable development. Costa Rica is set to be the first country to become carbon neutral by 2021.  
    
Costa Rica first announced its intention to be carbon-neutral in 2007. In 2014, Costa Rica was ranked third in the Global Green Economy Index behind Sweden and Norway. The country recently announced that they have already achieved 81 percent of its carbon neutral target, reaffirming its aspiration of having zero carbon footprint starting in 2021. For such a small country, this is a big deal.

If a small country of about 4.8 million people is going to achieve carbon neutrality five years from now, Nigeria with a population of 180 million or the United States with over 300 million people can also achieve net zero carbon footprint. But perhaps, only developing countries at this point can vigorously pursue carbon neutrality because they are not yet industrialized and can easily follow a different development path. However, the important question is how African countries can emulate the Central American country and incorporate sustainable development into their decision-making processes.

The concept of carbon neutrality

Carbon neutrality is achieved when the net greenhouse gas emissions of a country, an organisation or a product are equal to zero. Having a net zero carbon footprint is achieved by balancing the amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount that is offset, either through developing projects that are energy efficient or buying enough carbon credits to make up the difference.

Carbon neutrality concept is not only about offsetting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but it extends to all GHGs that are emitted into the atmosphere. The six GHGs listed by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including CO2, are methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). The impact of the other five gases on the atmosphere are expressed in terms of an equivalent amount of CO2. Carbon dioxide has a Global-warming potential (GWP) of one and all other greenhouse gases are converted into CO2. For example, methane has a global warming potential of 21 compared to CO2, i.e. one ton of methane pollute 21 times more than one ton of carbon dioxide. Nitrous oxide also has a GWP of 320.

The framework for offsetting the other GHGs, besides CO2, to reduce global warming is generally referred to by some people as climate neutrality. An event can be climate or carbon neutral. The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, for instance, was carbon neutral because GHG emissions associated with the event were offset by the implementation of projects that reduced at least the same volume of greenhouse gases emitted, even as the event brought about sustainable development in the country.

On its part, Costa Rica is planning to produce all its energy from renewable energy sources and to compensate emissions in other sectors by reforestation activities that will sink greenhouse gases.

Natural advantages

Costa Rica has some natural advantages, though this does not take anything away from its noble climate action. The following are some natural advantages Costa Rica has over other countries in going carbon neutral:

•    Costa Rica has a low threshold of electricity consumption capacity. According to the World Bank, Costa Rica’s electric power consumption is 1,957kWh per capita (2012) compared to the United States with 12,954kWh per capita for the same year. Economies like the U.S. and many in Europe are already fossil-fuel dependent. Therefore, decarbonizing will take decades to achieve. For instance, replacing the electricity generation of the U.S. (at 4.6 billion mWh capacity), much of which is from fossil fuels and coal, with renewable energy will take decades and cost trillions of dollars which the world’s biggest economy does not have. Costa Rica does not have the huge burden of decarbonizing.

•    The existence of hydro resources in Costa Rica is a tremendous natural advantage. 85 percent of its electricity is already being produced from hydroelectric power plants. The Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) announced that the country ran for 285 days, between January 1 and December 17, 2015, solely on renewable energy. The country achieved 99 percent of renewable energy last year.

•    The country’s level of  sunlight also makes it possible to produce solar photovoltaic (PV) and thermal energy.

•    Availability of forest resources is a real natural advantage because forests are good carbon sinks, that is, natural systems that suck up or store carbon from the atmosphere. Taking actions to preserve forests are not as costly as actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

•    As a developing country, Costa Rica can easily raise international funding to finance some of its activities toward climate neutrality. The country can also generate carbon credits from all its activities through Clean Development Mechanism, REDD+ etc. and generate more revenue to the country.

Path to climate neutrality

We have established that following a clean path for a developing country that still needs to build its infrastructure is easier than decarbonising a developed economy. But it is also true that any country with a strong commitment to go climate neutral, or at least reduce greenhouse gas emissions, can do so. A few examples below show how, with a strong will, some countries have committed to the path of sustainable development.

•    Germany is producing around 30,000MW solar electricity per year (2015) already, more than any country in the world despite its limited solar resources. The solar irradiance of Germany is just around 1kWh/m² compared to 2.5kWh/m² for most Sub-Saharan African countries which are still struggling to have the first MW solar plant installed. Germany has taken measures like giving incentives to households and companies to investment in research, development and deployment of solar energy.

•    Starting in 1997 with 0MW, the wind power development programme in Finland is now at around 900MW of installed capacity after the government made it a priority to develop energy from this renewable energy source.

•    Brazil has made ethanol production from sugarcane its priority in the last decades. The ethanol is used for energy production and many cars in Brazil are now hydride, i.e. they can run on petrol or ethanol. Brazil has focused on a commitment to develop a sugarcane industry and make ethanol a key part of its energy mix. Brazil is the world’s largest sugarcane ethanol producer and it pioneered the use of ethanol as a motor fuel. Ethanol is clean, affordable and low-carbon biofuel. Many countries in Sub-Sahara Africa have the natural potential to follow the Brazilian path.

Achieving global carbon neutrality is necessary to save mankind and other species from the dangerous effects of a warmer planet. This will not happen overnight, neither will it happen if there is no strong commitment from all countries. But it can be done if leaders move from talking at climate events to taking actions.

Going green in Africa

Going carbon neutral can actually bring more benefits than costs for African countries. It is true that we cannot put all African countries in one basket. South Africa, for instance, is emitting 9.3 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per capita and has a population of 53 million. The country has limited forest resources, compared to Gabon with just 1.4 metric tonnes of CO2 emission per capita and a population of 1.6 million with enormous forest resources. Nigeria, with its large forest resources and large population of 180 million, emits 0.5 metric tonnes of CO2 per capita. Gabon and Nigeria can easily and within a short timespan reach climate neutrality, compared to South Africa.

Some positive actions are already being taken on the continent to reduce greenhouse gas emissions:

•    Kenya is incentivizing companies in the hospitality business to use only solar water heaters.

•    Ghana is making the use of efficient lighting equipment compulsory and has stopped the importation of incandescent light bulbs into the country.

•    Ghana is also not accepting cooling devices built on old and energy-intensive technologies.

•    Morocco has reached almost 100 percent rural electrification after starting the Rural Electrification Pilot Programme (PPER) in 1995 with the support of the French. Under this programme, photovoltaic systems for households were heavily subsidized; micro-grids were set up to serve people; utility facilities were encouraged to set up in rural areas to run micro-grids and create jobs etc.

•    Many African countries and international organisations are supporting the development of the “great green wall,” a large forest wall crossing Africa from West to East at the edge of the Sahara desert. This wall will sink GHGs and at the same time it will combat desertification in the countries that it crosses.
    
These actions alone are not enough to achieve carbon neutrality, but they show that with some thinking and commitment coming from African governments, the continent can develop on a carbon-resilient path.