Asian Development Bank assistant chief economist Joe Zveglich speaks at the University of Sydney
Asia's lust for energy will be devastating for the environment unless governments adopt a radical change of thinking, says a new report by the Asian Development Bank. Speaking at the University of Sydney today, ADB assistant chief economist Joe Zveglich warned that the downside of the Asian Century will be a huge rise in the region's energy needs. If the Asian economy expands as predicted, the region will go from using 34 per cent of global energy supplies today to up to 56 per cent by 2035. Projections for carbon dioxide emissions are "clearly unsustainable," he warned. Dr Zveglich said the region needs to take concrete steps to curb demand and expand the supply of clean, affordable energy. Poor people in developing countries should also have affordable access to energy, he said. Dr Zveglich was speaking at the launch of the ADB's Asian Development Outlook 2013 , which carries a special focus on Asia's energy challenge.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
