United Nations Environmental Program
Renewable energy
Kingdom Of Cambodia
Aastha Patel
Forest Hills Eastern High School
The planet is warming up and most countries are trying to use cleaner energy known as energy collected from renewable resources, such as solar panels. The United States for the first time ever in April 2019 had electricity come from clean energy instead of coal, reported by Bloomberg (news channel) “The GSR (Renewables Status Report), the report reveals that total investment in renewable energy (not including hydropower) was $288.9 billion in 2018.” Globally, more renewable energy capacity has been installed instead of new fossil fuels and nuclear capacity combined. In developing countries that are seeking to become more advanced economically and socially clean; renewable energy production has surpassed the capacity generated by fossil fuels. In 2017, renewable energy comprised 36.6% of China’s total installed electric power capacity and 26.4% of total power generation. Most countries around the world use coal because it is efficient for producing high amounts of energy required in the industries, which makes it very hard to replace it with other energy sources. Coal consumption is the largest production, accounting for 40% of electricity worldwide. Additionally, coal is already available in most countries and is in ample supply. China who is the largest consumer and producer of coal produces 46% of global coal and consumes 49%, Which is almost as much as the rest of the world combined. (Renewable energy is also very expensive compared to coal) Crude oil is a cleaner fuel than coal but it still has many environmental disadvantages.
Cambodia’s electricity is made up of 62% renewable energy, mostly coming from hydropower dams. Hydropower Dams were built over four years costing nearly $800 million. The dam is expected to bring in around $30 million in tax revenue yearly. Cambodia’s largest investor in developing hydroelectric dams is China. Biogas plants (Biogas is a gas mixture which is generated when organic compounds are fermented in the absence of air) are going to be installed in rural areas across Cambodia. The Hivos Foundation in collaboration with the Netherlands Development Organization, which is a non-profit international development organization, has introduced biogas installations across Cambodia with The National Biodigester Programme. Solar panels are increasingly being used in rural areas of Cambodia. Through the Rural Electrification Fund, 12,000 solar home systems have been installed in rural areas of Cambodia. All the villages of the Kingdom of Cambodia are going to have some sort of electricity, by 2020. Around the year 2030, at least 70 % of households in Cambodia will have access to grid-quality electricity.
The United Nations needs to come together to help developing countries and countries that do not use renewable energy to build biogas plants. Biogas plants will create renewable energy and produce electricity. Countries need to also install solar panels because it is a excellent alternative to replace fossil fuels. Countries that have a river to place a dam have a benefit because the water flowing is absolutely free and it is a clean fuel source renewed by snow and rainfall. It is necessary to use renewable energy because the burning of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, increasing levels of CO2 and other gases. If we do not take action, our world’s average temperature will be too high to stop it.
- Aastha Patel
