Sub-thematic area
The following are the sub-thematic areas under this thematic area:
Sub-thematic areas:
1. Green house gas mitigation
Greenhouse gas mitigation
Mitigation of green house gases is imperative if the global average temperature is to be curtailed to a two degree Celsius increase compared to the pre industrial era. The activities and focus of this area are in energy efficiency, renewable energy technologies and its applications, sector wise emissions, inventory of GHG emissions at unit level such as, in processes, factories, business, buildings, institutions; sector wise studies, such as transport, electricity generation, industries, agriculture, commercial, and wastes; regional level looking at cities and provincial level emissions and mitigation options; national level analysis of policies and mitigation options; Clean Development Mechanism; life cycle analysis of systems and technologies; and technology needs assessment and technology transfer issues.
Energy access and security
Energy access is an important issue for the least developing Asian economies, which has a significant proportion of the population without access to modern energy resources, such as electricity, liquid and gaseous fuels. The disparity is more when cities and rural areas are concerned. Furthermore, lack of access to modern fuels also results in inefficient use of resources, namely, biomass, leading to socio-health and economic impacts. Research in this sub thematic area is on how to improve access through technology and policy measures, compiling lessons learned, and coordinating with international networks to promote energy access. As fossil resources get depleted and along with it, its prices increase, nations are rightly concerned on the import bill, and supply of fossil resources to provide the necessary energy supply to fuel the country’s growth. Energy security, therefore, is a grave concern to policy makers. Research in this area includes studies on energy security indicators, policies that reduce vulnerability to energy security, and implications of the policies to energy security and GHG mitigation.
Energy access and security
Energy is an important input for development, and for development to be sustainable, the role of energy - source, conversion, and utilization – is even more important. The world’s primary energy supply is dominated by fossil fuels, and the transition towards a low carbon society should consider sustainable consumption of energy resources, increasing efficiency in conversion at various levels, and the increased use of renewable energy resources and its integration to the existing energy system. Research in this sub thematic area is on the renewable energy resource estimation in the developing Asia Pacific countries, improving the conversion efficiency in industrial processes, improving energy efficiency of end use devices, hybrid resource utilization, and energy conversion transmission and distribution systems.