A panel discussion on sustainable energy policies for the so-called BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – was held on 16 August.

A panel discussion on sustainable energy policies for the so-called BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – was held at Imperial on 16 August.

The event featured experts including Professor Paul Ekins, Director of the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources, Minister-Councillor Rodrigo de Azeredo Santos from the Brazilian Embassy, and Mr Magued Eldaief, the Executive Director, Energy Accounts, GE Energy. Students Edo Abraham (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) and Bing Feng Ng (Aeronautics), President and Publications Officer of the Imperial College Energy Society, who helped to organise the event in collaboration with the Imperial College Brazil Forum, report:

“With the big emerging economies like Brazil, Russia, India and China driving the global agenda on sustainable energy, there is a question over whether these new economies should model their development and policies around the path taken by developed western nations. The consensus of the panel was that they should not. Professor Ekins explained the imperative for separating material consumption growth from financial growth.

He showed two projected GDP growth scenarios for the next 20 years – one for an economic policy with stringent climate change mitigation and one without. A policy for climate change mitigation is one that tries to decrease the causes and effects of climate change (or global warming); one example of this is the European and UK 2020 (and 2050) targets to decrease emissions.

Professor Ekins estimated that mitigation would cost the economy only one year’s growth by 2030. His conclusion was that it is the lack of political will, not economic cost or lack of technology that is the main constraining factor for environmentally sustainable economic growth .

Mr Eldaief discussed the best and worst policy scenarios for investment in sustainable energy development in the BRIC nations. He also highlighted the policy risks and opportunities faced by energy companies like GE in doing business in these countries.”

Hear an audio recording of the event and see the presentation slides.