OPINION: Sustainable energy production, use key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions

As we celebrate this year’s International Day of Forests, it is the right time to take stock of achievements recorded and challenges met in protecting and conserving forestry resources and how this has managed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the globe.

This year’s celebrations with the theme ‘Forests and Energy’ have come at a time when Tanzania and FAO have just signed a technical cooperation agreement to support the country to finalise the review of its National Forest Policy.

Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy is one of the United Nations global 17 Sustainable Development Goals and it is therefore fundamental for addressing the impacts of climate change and eliminating extreme poverty and hunger.

Forests provide energy that powers economic development. Millions more people in developing and some industrialised nations depend on wood energy than solar, hydroelectric or wind power.

Under the agreement, FAO is going to provide technical support to enable Tanzania finalise the review and updating of its 1998 Policy.

Through this agreement, local and international experts will be involved in the participatory process to ensure that the policy not only takes into account developments in the international arena but also helps meet the national social, economic and environmental aspirations.

Greening the wood energy sector holds a vast potential for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and improving rural livelihoods. Up to seven per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans come from the production and use of fuel wood and charcoal. This happens largely due to unsustainable forest management and inefficient charcoal production and fuel wood combustion.

For more than two billion people worldwide, wood fuel means a cooked meal, boiled water for safe drinking, and a warm dwelling. This is especially important for millions of rural poor people in developing countries including Tanzania, where wood remains the main source of fuel for millions. However, much of the current production of wood fuel is unsustainable, contributing significantly to the degradation of forests and soils and the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

In many regions the conversion to charcoal is often done using rudimentary and polluting methods. With a steady population growth rate of over 2 per cent, community forests designated to supply wood for fuel are unable to support the growing demand.

It is therefore imperative to adopt improved technologies for energy conversion, whether in production of charcoal or for household wood fuel consumption. Developing countries like Tanzania need to scale up the transfer of renewable energy technologies, particularly for forest biomass and to make use of these technologies to keep pace with growing energy demands in a sustainable manner.

This would potentially reduce the use of fossil fuel and corresponding carbon emissions, hence contributing to a better and cleaner environment.

FAO is participating in several programmes to deliver fuel-efficient stoves, especially for poor people in Latin America and Africa.

Greater investment in technological innovation and financing sustainable forest management is key to increasing the role of forests as major sources of renewable energy.

In this way, we invest in our sustainable future, we achieve several Sustainable Development Goals and put a stamp in growing a green economy.

This therefore is a re-awakening to double afforestation and reforestation efforts, while protecting and ensuring sustainable utilisation of existing forest resources.

Current efforts of many civil society organisations, private sector and Development partners in Tanzania need to be applauded and supported since they are vital to sustainable environmental management, economic development and poverty alleviation.