[INFOGRAPHIC] Quenching Asia-Pacific’s Insatiable Thirst For Energy

We turn the spotlight on the Asia-Pacific region, which will consume more than half of the world’s energy by 2035.

AsianScientist (Jun. 29, 2015) – Here’s an infographic that describes the challenges that Asia-Pacific countries will face in transitioning to clean energy sources such as nuclear, hydro, biomass, geothermal, wind and solar.

In 2035, the majority of the region’s primary energy demand will still come from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, but renewable sources will also add to the energy mix, according to the Asian Development Outlook 2013 report published by the Asian Development Bank.

Asian countries are already aggressively pursuing renewable energy, with 90 percent of green investments in the region into solar and wind power, and with China, Japan, Australia and India as the main contributors. China has also set itself ambitious renewable energy targets for 2020 in its 12th Five-Year Plan, which may help Asia become the global leader in renewable energy production.

None of this will come cheap, though. Countries in the region must invest an additional US$8.2 trillion from 2010 to 2035 to deploy advanced technologies that use renewable energy sources and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, says the report.

Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine.
Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine.



This article was first published in the print version of Asian Scientist Magazine, July 2015.

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Asian Scientist Magazine is an award-winning science and technology magazine that highlights R&D news stories from Asia to a global audience. The magazine is published by Singapore-headquartered Wildtype Media Group.

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