“Your countries have the greatest untapped potential for hydropower, but they are struggling to attract investment,” said the head of the federal Ministry of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC).
At the start of a two-day international conference, Sommaruga pointed out that Switzerland is one of the few countries to fund multilateral efforts to start projects in these states.
However, Bern is also open to bilateral agreements on the subject, especially as part of the climate agreements already signed with several countries to offset greenhouse gas emissions in Switzerland.
Small-scale hydropower projects or energy grid projects could be funded in their country if the partner countries wanted to, Sommaruga told media. The federal councilor discussed this topic with her colleagues from Malawi and Georgia in the morning.
According to a report by the UN and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) published this week in Geneva, clean electricity supplies must double by 2030 to meet climate change commitments.
However, investment in emerging and developing countries outside China is stagnating. Efforts should also be doubled in the field of hydropower.
The use of gas as a “weapon” in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine does not only affect European states, Sommaruga said.
Inflation, oil prices and the monopolization of liquefied gas by European customers also pose problems for developing countries. According to the federal councilor, hydropower should make it possible to do without these non-renewable energy sources, recognizing that this poses financial, social and environmental problems.
“In the short term, many countries will be back to gas and oil. In view of the crisis, that is humane’, said the federal councilor. However, she is convinced that the current situation will not prevent more investment in renewable energy sources in the medium term.
When it comes to hydropower: “Switzerland has something to show for the other countries,” emphasized the federal councilor. And the interest of the countries is quite high.
Switzerland also supports the new international sustainability label introduced in 2021. This brings together all actors, from governments and the private sector to representatives of the financial world and civil society.
There are several approaches to hydropower. In Europe, it is seen as a means of increasing the use of other forms of energy, such as solar energy. In less prosperous countries, it is seen more as a tool for accessing and developing energy. You have to try to reconcile these two aspects, Sommaruga said.
(SDA)