Renewable Energy Use & Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – An Alternative SOURCE of Clean Energy for ALL

I am currently visiting Bangladesh for meetings with the Private Sector and Government Officials on sustainable economic development. Russia will be supplying Bangladesh with Nuclear technology for Energy production purposes. Bangladesh is a country that is starved of energy, and this stumps economic growth in all sectors. As an entrepreneur, when you have power cuts on a daily basis, what can do but find alternatives to ensure production continues. The obvious answer is the use of fossil fuel generators. Generators cost money and the fuel cost even more in a country like Bangladesh with little fuel of its own.

 

But what happens to the general public when you have no constant supply of energy? They are also directly affected and more severely. I have seen this for myself and discussed this issue with many people in Bangladesh. The lower Middle class and working classes in urban centres are hit the worst, although I thought it would be the poor who suffered most. They need access to energy for all things – from a fan or refrigerator in their home or for lighting for their children to do the basics like study at night. This indirectly affects their ability to be more effective contributors to economic and social development in the country. The poor have different problems such as access to basic necessities for living - energy access is not primarily the most important aspect, particularly in the rural areas.

 

Many of us take access to Energy, better still cheap energy for granted. But for those who have no choice what is the alternative? Fossil fuel or Nuclear or Renewable Energy? Nuclear is an option so are Gas power plants – if you have access to Gas. But Renewable Energy is a far better option. Why?

 

Renewable energy is cheaper in the long-term and faster to set-up. The one off cost of setting up a Solar Energy system outweighs the cost of setting up a large Nuclear or Gas power plant. There is also the maintenance cost and in addition the cost of ensuring safety. Solar energy production, if integrated in the entire energy production system – “feed-in” to the national grid, becomes even more effective. The SUN is not dying for lots of billions of years. Secondly, in terms of clean energy production - Solar is a clean energy. It is not fossil fuel based and there are no spent nuclear rods or contaminants to be dealt with. It is also a safer choice - we have seen the disasters of Chernobyl and Fukushima.

 

As Russia is involved energy supply as a source producer of Gas, and also provider of specialist nuclear technology for Energy production. I am suggesting that it might be a good idea for Russian Industrialist, Entrepreneurs to think about the need to also be involved in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiatives that support access for all to Renewable Energy. Russia is the second largest producer of fossil fuels in the World and will be for some time to come. Russian Companies like GAZPROM should now seriously consider making “CSR and Renewable Energy” use as an important pillar of their International CSR programmes. This will not only help people, it will promote the Image of a Russia that works for Global Sustainable Economic Development.

 

Eugene Arokiasamy

CEO, AOC-Razon Group

www.aoc-razon.com