Clean Energy Potential in Honduras Remains Untapped

There are 15 carbon emission reduction projects registered with Honduras' Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (SERNA). The combined projects, which generated US$2.4 million in Certified Emission Reduction (CER) credits this year, reported a reduction of 293,427 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2009. The world market for CER efforts is estimated at US$126 billion by the World Bank (WB). Nine of the projects in Honduras involve hydroelectric power generation, three seek to capture methane gas, and three focus on the production of biological material or "Biomass". According to William Brom of the Dutch development consulting firm SNV, Honduras has the potential to do so much more in the area of clean fuels such as hydroelectricity, bio-combustibles, and wind.

Mr. Brom stressed, "Honduras needs to diversify it energy matrix". About 70 percent of the energy used in Honduras is based on fossil fuels such as petroleum oil that pollute the environment, contribute to global warming, and keep the country's economy dependent on imported sources of energy. Honduras is listed by the United Nations (UN) as being among the countries most susceptible to suffering from the consequences of climate change caused by global warming, due largely to its high level of poverty and underdevelopment. The recurring and increasingly serious drought conditions in Honduras that regularly place tens of thousands of Hondurans at risk of famine highlight the problem. (photo courtesy Internet)