Jun09

Need roadmap to meet renewable energy targets

Speakers tell dialogue

Bangladesh needs a clear roadmap to implement the renewable energy targets set by the government, said lawmakers and policy experts at a dialogue yesterday.

They said people in general have limited awareness on the importance of renewable energy, that will be critical in the days to come because of climate change impacts.

The observations came at a national dialogue organised by Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) at a Dhaka hotel.

The Bangladesh government aimed to generate 5 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2015 and 10 percent by 2020. However, as of June last year, this number is less than 5 percent.

The government has now set new targets, aiming to produce 15 percent of electricity from renewables by 2030, 40 percent by 2041 and 100 percent by 2050.

Addressing the event, former Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said people at the local level have very limited understanding about renewable energy, though the government has policy regarding this.

BEI President M Humayun Kabir said local government institutions, including the city corporations and municipalities, need to be empowered to expand renewable energy.

"We need to frame an inclusive and comprehensive roadmap to achieve the target of renewable energy. Peoples' participation towards this goal is critical," he said.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/need-roadmap-meet-renewable-energy-targets-3630206