Letter from the Moderator
Welcome to the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). My name is Ruth Preslar, and I am new to the Model United Nations (U.N.). I am currently a junior at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, majoring in horticultural sciences.
Committee Background
On December 15, 1972, the U.N. General Assembly created the Governing Council of the UNEP, composed of 58 members elected by the General Assembly for three-year terms. Sixteen seats are for African States, 13 seats for Asian States, six seats for Eastern European States, 10 seats for Latin American States, and 13 seats for Western European and other States. The main function of the Governing Council is to provide general policy guidance for environmental programs within the U.N. system, while considering the impact on developing countries. The Governing Council reports annually to the General Assembly through the Economic and Social Council.
Topic 1: Streamlining and Incentivizing Cost-Effective Green Energy Investments for Underdeveloped Nations
Topic Overview
In September, 2015, the Governing Council adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which included 17 Sustainable Development Goals that went into effect on January 1, 2016. One of the goals is affordable and clean energy. In order to achieve affordable and clean energy, one of the targetsincluded in the 2030 Agenda is to substantially increase the share of renewable energy in the global mix by 2030. Renewable energy sources include solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, and biomass, the latter of which includes landfill gases.
In order to increase renewable resources, countries will need to decrease their reliance on nonrenewable resources over the next decade. One way to achieve this goal is to work with individual countries to reduce coal production and transition to cleaner, renewable energy sources.
Current Situation
With the highest carbon content of all the nonrenewable energy sources, carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion represented 24.5 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2012. The U.S., China, and India are the top producers and consumers of coal. Worldwide, coal supplies 29.7% of energy use and is responsible for 44% of global carbon dioxide.
In addition to greenhouse gas emissions generated from burning coal, mining coal exposes both miners and local populations to health hazards. Some of the largest coal mines in the world are located in developed and developing countries who should want to lessen their dependence on coal and increase utilization of renewable energy sources.
About 40 percent of the world’s coal mines are strip mines. Strip mining is highly destructive, clearing trees, plants, and topsoil to get to coal buried beneath the surface. In some countries, such as Australia, strip mines make up 80 percent of mines. In the United States, from 1930 to 2000, coal mining altered about 5.9 million acres of natural landscape, most originally forest.
Coal mining also releasesmethaneinto the atmosphere. Globally, about 6% of methane emissions due to human activity come from coal mining. Methane is 84 times as powerful as carbon dioxide atdisrupting the climateover a 20-year timespan.
Coal mining also generates coal fires, which emit toxic levels of arsenic, fluorine, mercury and selenium that contaminate the air, groundwater, and soil in local communities. Coal fires occur when coal seams burn or smolder, or when coal storage or waste piles burn. Lightning and forest fires can start coal fires, but they are often caused by mining accidents and bad mining practices. In Indonesia, the same fires used to clear large tracts of rainforest have ignited over 300 coal fires since the 1980s. These coal fires are a significant environmental problem in China, Russia, the United States, Indonesia, Australia and South Africa. China has the world's most coal fires, which accounts for up to 5 percent of China's national coal consumption and related carbon dioxide emissions.
The largest and fifth and eighth largest coal mines in the world are located in the United States, all in the State of Wyoming. The second and third largest coal mines are located in China. The fourth largest coal mine is located in Mozambique, and the sixth and seventh largest coal mines are located in Australia. The ninth largest coal mine is located in Russia and the tenth largest is located in Columbia. Global distribution of recoverable coal reserves is depicted below.
Recoverable Coal Reserves By Country
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, “International Energy Statistics: Coal, 2011
Because the United States has the most recoverable coal reserves, it should lead the initiative in making a commitment to reduce its reliance on coal as an energy source. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to convince the citizens and leadership that it is in their best interest and the world’s to leave coal reserves in the ground and instead use renewable energy sources. The following are potential obstacles to overcome:
• President and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator who do not believe coal mining and emissions from coal-fire plants contribute to global warming;
• Citizens who like low-cost energy and are not willing to “foot-the-bill” through increased utility rates for investment in renewable energy technology;
• Wealthy corporations and their lobbyists who have investments in coal and can influence elected officials to maintain the status quo
Other countries with significant coal reserves, such as Russia and China, should also join the United States in committing to decrease dependence on coal and increase reliance on renewable energy sources. However, it may be difficult to convince these countries to join in such an initiative because the government owns the coal mines and power companies.
Incentives
With the increasing awareness of global warming and the declining supply of non renewable energy sources, it is apparent something needs to change. Renewable energy proposes a suitable energy source for the more underdeveloped countries with off-grid energy solutions. Decentralizing and deploying renewable technologies throughout separated regions within the country reduces the cost burden of connecting to a centralized grid for many rural regions. The countries that are more developed, but not as rich in fossil fuels are subject to pricey imports of nonrenewable sources. The declining availability of these sources project only steep increase in price as depletion continues. The long term pay out and investment of renewable energy technologies far out way the alliance of importing.
Discussion Questions
- Is an initiative to reduce coal production a good way to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of affordable and clean energy?
- If not, why not? What would be a better approach?
- If so, how do you convince the countries with significant coal reserves to embrace reducing their dependence on coal?
References/Sources
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions,
Finance Initiative
Greenpeace,
Mining Technology,
U.S. Energy Information Administration,
1