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6.2.3 Example from Japan In Japan, a mandatory cap-and-trade programme has just been set up in Tokyo. Around 60 million tonnes of GHG emissions were emitted in Tokyo in 2006 and this had risen by three per cent since 1990. The cap-andtrade programme is unique in that it focuses on large office buildings concentrated in the city centre as these emit around 40 per cent of the CO2 emitted from the commercial sector. The cap is an absolute cap; not an intensity target as used in other countries. Installations under the cap are required to reduce CO2 emissions by six per cent between 2010 and 2014 and this is intended to lead to an overall reduction of GHG emissions in Tokyo by 25 per cent over 2000 levels by 2020. More detail is available here 164 . 6.3 Regulation in developing countries The Kyoto Protocol does not establish reduction targets for developing countries such as Ghana, which ratified the treaty on 1995. However, significant progress has achieved during the 2011 Durban Climate Change Conference, where, according to the UNFCCC 165 , “Under the Convention, all industrialized countries plus 49 developing countries have made mitigation pledges covering the time period from now until 2020. These pledges cover 80% of global emissions and were affirmed in Durban. Additionally, agreement was reached on how and by when both developed and developing countries will report on these mitigation efforts, as well as on the details of verifying these efforts. Countries now need to quickly clarify their publicly announced mitigation targets and actions, so that there is mutual understanding” The EPA and the Ministry of Communications have shown leadership in the area of climate change, but has so far focussed on adaptation rather than emissions reduction. EPA has involved the TSPs and their suppliers in partnerships, workshops, and awareness outreaches to widen their understanding of climate change and to bring this knowledge within reach of all communities and individuals in Ghana 166 : “Cellphone giant Vodafone (which partly owns Verizon) paired up with Ghana’s EPA to form and lead a Climate Change Adaptation campaign in Ghana. The EPA has learned that solar panels and clean energy investments do not stop floods or property losses. Currently, Ghana suffers from extreme climate shifts. There are longer dry season droughts, and subsequent cycles of severe flooding. High temperatures force near constant influxes of pests and diseases. Climate change is exacerbating these impacts, which destroy property and takes the lives of thousands every year. Economically, agricultural losses reach into the millions”. 6.3.1 Example from South Africa A tax on carbon emissions from motor vehicles was introduced in 2010. Unlike the UK, this applies on first purchase. ZAR 75 is added to the price for every gram of CO2 per km the vehicle emits over 120 g/km. 6.3.2 Example from China China uses a measure called ‘carbon intensity’ instead of the absolute level of carbon emissions to assess its GHG emissions. This is the amount of CO2 produced per unit of economic growth instead of an absolute emissions cap. However, China has pledged to reduce GHG emissions from 2005 levels per unit GDP by 40-45 per cent by 2020 167 . 80
6.3.3 Example from Brazil Brazil is anxious to bring broadband services to more areas of the country. The Brazilian government has announced that it proposes to waive certain taxes in the hope of attracting TSPs to build out USD 44 billion in new fibre networks. Any TSP that registers for a tax break will have to be willing to build out fibre networks in areas where there is currently limited coverage. The government will forfeit around USD four billion in taxes to help achieve this. This comes soon after the Brazilian government’s National Broadband Plan that would provide users with a 1Mbps connection for around USD 22 per month. Suggested action: The EPA, MoC, and other appropriate agencies in Ghana should promote legislation to ensure that TSPs who make investment decisions that will benefit capacity building, literacy and e-health objectives should receive regulatory relief. 6.4 What more could be done in Ghana? The examples of appropriate regulation in developed and developing countries show how policy-makers and regulators can act to mitigate climate change and how ICT fits within the reporting methods adopted by the UNFCCC. Developed countries have much higher emissions per capita than Ghana and report under a stricter commitment within the Kyoto Protocol. The negotiations currently taking place in the UNFCCC process under in the newly formed ‘Durban Platform’, are defining the terms of a new agreement that will enter into force in 2020. To be successful in combating climate change, leadership is needed from the President downwards and there must be the political will to enact legislation to fight climate change. Legislation will move the action from ‘voluntary’ to ‘mandatory and enforceable’. Such leadership was demonstrated in the Vice President’s opening address to the Sixth Symposium on ICTs, the Environment and Climate Change on 7-8 July in Ghana. In his address 168 H.E. Mr. John Dramani Mahama referred to legislation on the management of e-waste which is being prepared and due to come into effect in 2012. He also emphasised the role of the ICT technologies in ‘the protection of the environment, management of natural resources and disaster prevention as they support sustainable development”. The situation in Ghana is different from developed countries in that economic growth is needed to allow people to enjoy a higher standard of living. However, Ghana has the opportunity to achieve this on a different evolution path to the one chosen by developed countries. Ghana needs affordable access to ICTs to be able to understand and take measures to combat and adapt to climate change. While this is recognised by the MoC and EPA, the big question is how it can put telecommunications on a ‘lower energy per user’ evolution path. A key objective of this report has been to show how this might be done. 81
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Shutterstock ® Flavio Cucchietti
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Table of contents Information and c
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Page 4.9 Facility sharing to save c
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Towards a better environment: The M
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Towards a better environment: An IT
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Introduction Climate change has bec
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Assembly’s resolution 65/151, whi
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Acknowledgements The text of this p
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1. Situating climate change in the
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designing and implementing strategi
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Box 4. The Nairobi Work Programme (
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As identified during the Symposium
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and 3.5G subscriptions. Fixed-phone
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The data reflected in Tables 2 and
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network to connect the regional adm
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Box 10. Climate change projections
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Box 11. Examples of UNFCCC parties
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integrated into the plans of the re
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While the actions undertaken by Gha
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Figure 3. Relation between ICTs and
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In response to this increasing need
Page 46 and 47: c) Sectoral and community levels IC
Page 48 and 49: In terms of ICT and climate change
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Page 77 and 78: Remote health monitoring enables in
Page 79 and 80: electricity grid and would decrease
Page 81 and 82: Figure 8. Tungu-Kabiri 18kW crossfl
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Page 89 and 90: The trend to watching TV on laptops
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Page 105 and 106: Annex: How GHG emissions in the ICT
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Page 109 and 110: Overall report conclusions Developi
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