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Windmill against blue sky. Copyright: Coraidelsteiner/Fotolia.com

Promoting Renewable Energies
and Energy Efficiency

Context: Development needs sustainable energy

The international community faces a major challenge. The development of energy supply in developing countries is a key prerequisite to successful poverty reduction and achievement of the Millennium Develop­ment Goals (MDGs). At the same time, firm measures must be taken to reduce global energy consumption and hold back climate change. Global energy consumption is rising – a radical change in energy policy is needed. So far it has been the industrialised countries that have consumed the largest share of oil, coal and gas. However, the share of these fuels being consumed by developing and emerging countries is rising. According to a study prepared by the International Energy Agency (IEA), unless global energy and climate policy changes the demand for energy will increase by more than half by the year 2030. Developing countries will be responsible for almost ninety per cent of this increase, more than half of which will be attributable to India and China alone.

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Development-policy involvement in international initiatives

Various international processes, and the vigorous engagement of multilateral development organisations, provide an impressive demonstration of the growing importance attached by humankind to the challenge of sustainable energy supply. A leader in the use of innovative renewable energy technologies, the German government is playing a major role in helping define international targets and implement concrete measures. Cooperation activities are being pursued at the level of the EU, within the G8, and together with the World Bank and the regional development banks. German development policy is also promoting cooperation with global networks and public-private partnerships.

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German engagement: Energy policy – key to poverty reduction and climate protection

Today, around two billion people worldwide are living without access to a modern energy supply. This means they have no opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty and improve their living conditions through their own efforts. Providing these people with a sustainable energy supply is the key to reducing global poverty. This is why it is an objective of German development policy. A sustainable energy supply not only reduces poverty. At the same time, it also reduces dependency on costly fossil fuels, especially oil. It helps protect the environment – both locally and globally. Germany therefore supports the dissemination of sustainable and local energy production technologies, and aims to help achieve efficient energy production and utilisation.

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Renewable Energies:
From the gas stove to the hydropower plant

The potential of renewable energies is huge. In purely mathematical terms the sun, wind, water, earth and biomass provide thousands of times more energy that the world's population requires. So far, however, humankind has developed only a fraction of this potential. This is partly due to the fact that the funds for the investment needed have not been available, and the fact that in many countries fossil fuels are subsidised.

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Energy efficiency: Using energy more wisely

Efficient energy use – alongside renewable energy use – is an important prerequisite for the development of a sustainable energy supply. To this day, well over half the primary energy used worldwide is lost in the processes of power production, transmission and consumption. These sometimes unnecessary losses harbour an enormous potential for saving energy. Unless energy efficiency is increased significantly it will not be possible to establish sustainable energy management. This is also one of the most important preconditions for successful climate protection.

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Documents and links

Below you will find a selection of links to documents and websites containing further information on the theme of energy in development cooperation.

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