Green Growth, Clean Path

It is a positive trend that the consumption of petroleum fuels is decreasing in Nepal of late. The news has come at a time when the prices of petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas used for cooking purpose have been spiraling following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the continuing conflict there. All the countries of the world have hit hard by unprecedented inflation and Nepal is not an exception to this. Rise of commodity prices further aggravated by the disruption of the petroleum supply and resultant price hikes. This also sends transportation costs soaring and ultimately contributes to inflation. Transportation is vital to keep economic activities running but over dependence on petroleum fuels has been draining billions from the country to import the fuels. This has an adverse repercussion on the economic health of the nation at a time when the foreign exchange reserve is witnessing worrisome depletion. 

Thus, it is a time when we have to think about alternative energy to run our vehicles and to fuel our kitchen. A switch towards the use of electricity is the key for Nepal which is blessed with remarkable potential of generating hydroelectricity. According to a news report carried by this daily on Tuesday, bordering towns have witnessed a decrease in the consumption of petroleum fuels. This trend has emerged before the election of the House of Representatives and Provincial Assemblies. The campaigning period normally sees more intense public mobility and an increase in the use of vehicles. This should have caused a surge in the use of petroleum fuels. Interestingly, an opposite trend has been seen in terms of petroleum fuel use. This pleasant surprise may be isolated and sporadic right now but this should be encouraged and should expand all over the country. 

We can see more and more people are using electric vehicles lately and charging stations are being set up in the city areas and along the highway. Operating electric cars and buses not only saves hundreds of billions of foreign currency reserve but also helps keep our environment clean. Nepal's urban areas, particularly the capital valley, have critical air pollution levels. This has posed critical public health risks. Those who are suffering from respiratory problems have a hard time to cope with the threats of air pollution. So, this is a time when Nepal needs to make a timely shift to clean transportation and green economy. Rising number of electric cars is running on our streets and big passenger buses are being operated. We have to revisit the past decision of phasing out the trolley buses that was once operated in the capital.

The focus should be in the generation of hydro-electricity to sufficiently meet the domestic demand as well as export the surplus amount. We are heading in the right direction in this regards because the nation has already exported electricity worth billions of rupees to India. The sources of clean energy should also be diversified with plans to build solar and wind energy projects in the future. Switching to clean energy is a global demand to reverse temperature rise and climate change. Countries that invest in clean energy should be assisted financially and technologically. In the climate talks, there is a demand that those who pollute should pay to compensate for the damage they did to the environment. Nepal's initiative towards clean energy and phasing out of fossil fuel use should also be fairly compensated so that we can move ahead on the path of green growth and healthy environment.