In an interview with Maritime Fairtrade, Kanika Chawla, chief of staff, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), expanded on challenges the energy sector faces and ways on plugging the gaps. SEforALL was conceptualized and launched by former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2011 to ensure a clean energy transition that leaves no one behind and brings new opportunities for everyone to fulfil their potential.
SEforALL is an international organization that works in partnership with the United Nations and leaders in government, the private sector, financial institutions, civil society and philanthropies to drive faster action towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) – access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030 – in line with the Paris Agreement on climate.
Kanika Chawla, chief of staff, Sustainable Energy for All. Photo credit: Sustainable Energy for All
“The world is faced with a triple energy challenge – ending energy poverty, advancing the energy transition and enhancing energy security,” Kanika said, adding that SEforALL believes these three priorities should be approached in an integrated and interconnected manner.
“Clean energy solutions – which, at the margin, are the lowest cost energy offered in every part of the world now – help accelerate energy access for both consumption and for income-generating activities.”
These solutions offer more energy but lower emissions as they replace high emission fuels, which provide more business sense and make them attractive alternatives.
In addition, the clean energy revolution presents an economic opportunity to diversify supply chains, Kanika said. “With more and more countries aiming to localize parts of the manufacturing and assembly process of the clean energy solutions, the energy transition is growing economic prosperity and energy independence.”
According to the International Energy Agency, investment in clean energy in 2024 is set to be twice the amount going to fossil fuels. Total energy investment worldwide is expected to exceed US$3 trillion in 2024 for the first time, with some $2 trillion set to go toward clean technologies – including renewables, electric vehicles, nuclear power, grids, storage, low-emissions fuels, efficiency improvements and heat pumps. The remainder, slightly over $1 trillion, is going to coal, gas and oil.
However, Kanika said the investment is disproportionately concentrated in some developing economies, such as China and India, leaving much more to be done in other developing economies to attract private capital to clean energy projects that can drive progress on energy access, transition and security.
When asked specifically about the green progress in the maritime industry, Kanika said that the maritime sector is certainly one of the hard-to-abate sectors. “Yet, there are efforts underway on the blending of green fuels – especially advanced biofuels which can help accelerate progress.”
She stayed cautiously optimistic, and commented that although the “greening of supply chains is coming into sharp focus, much more needs to be done to drive down the cost curve of green shipping fuel so that it can be adopted widely.”
Although it has always been challenging for a female leader to drive change in a male-dominated industry, nevertheless, Kanika believed the role women need to play in shaping the future of sustainable energy is not only quintessential but business-savvy.
“Evidence suggests that companies with a gender-diverse leadership reduce CO2 emissions by five percent more than those with only men in management.” To achieve that, it necessitates a diverse and inclusive transition in the workforce, with a significant emphasis on elevating women into technical and leadership roles, Kanika explained.
“Women are under-represented across energy value chains. However, the energy transition has a projected growth of 14 million new jobs in the clean energy sector by 2030 – offering an opportunity to correct the gender misalignment.”
That is just the beginning though, Kanika said, adding that more needs to be done before the sector can be a supportive framework for women to excel in. “Data and evidence, combined with capacity building programs like SEforALL’s STEM Trainee program, will be key in accelerating women’s participation in the green energy workforce.”
Top photo credit: iStock/ brutto film
