East Timor forced to rely on diesel as aid cuts bite
Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 19 Oct, 08:01 · Archive
President Jose Ramos-Horta says East Timor's electricity grid is almost exclusively powered by expensive diesel because official development assistance has nearly ceased.
President Jose Ramos-Horta told the Global Citizen Now conference in Perth on Monday that East Timor's electricity grid is almost exclusively powered by expensive diesel. He said the high cost of energy is 'a killer of investors' and hampering the country's economic development.
Ramos-Horta attributed the problem to cuts in official development assistance from traditional OECD donor countries. He said donors had shifted their aid to support Ukraine and European refugees. He also highlighted 'draconian' cuts to humanitarian aid budgets affecting the World Food Programme and UNICEF.
'For the time being, and for many years to come, we need fossil fuel development to power the diversification of our economy into green energy,' Ramos-Horta said. He stressed that East Timor needs to develop its oil and gas resources to survive whilst transitioning to cleaner energy. The Green Climate Fund announced it is accelerating finance for the Pacific region, with a project offering up to $1 billion in grants and investment funding for Pacific nations to be presented to its board next week.
How it is being reported
- Aid cuts forcing fossil fuel dependence in East TimorEast Timor has no choice but to rely on diesel to power its electricity grid, President Jose Ramos-Horta has told an Australian clean energy summit.Perth Now · 19 Oct, 07:45
- Aid cuts forcing fossil fuel dependence in East TimorEast Timor has no choice but to rely on diesel to power its electricity grid, President Jose Ramos-Horta has told an Australian clean energy summit.The West Australian · 19 Oct, 07:45
In this story: East Timor · Jose Ramos-Horta · Global Citizen Now · OECD · Green Climate Fund · World Food Programme · UNICEF
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