What we can learn from Brazil
If
the BRICS economies have anything in common it’s in their very
respectable resource base. Brazil is no slouch in the world economy
either; our South American cousin across the Atlantic, is the world’s
7th largest economy.
Brazil gets it right as a world leader in the production of coffee,
sugar cane, soybeans and orange juice, the crucial lesson from this
country comes in its massive harnessing of renewable energy. Dr Jeremy
Wakeford, Chairman of ASPOSA, offers the following insight in this
regard: “Brazil has the largest share of renewables in its energy
consumption mix out of any major economy, thanks largely to abundant
hydroelectricity and the world’s second largest production of biofuels,
namely ethanol made from sugar cane. Brazil is also becoming a major oil
producer as it exploits new offshore fields.”
We can’t match Brazil’s use of hydropower, but we have plenty of
underutilised renewable energy in solar and wind power waiting in the
wings. In addition, Brazil shows SA how it’s done with superlative
agricultural output along with enormous production volumes of iron ore
and associated manufacturing (transport equipment including and
especially of motor vehicles).
Read the rest.
What we can learn from Russia
Russia
must be doing something right: by 2011 Moscow was home to more
billionaires than any other city in the world. In terms of nominal GDP,
Russia, with 143m people, is the world’s ninth largest economy.
Currently the Russian economy is expanding at a brisk 3.4%.
According to Dr Wakeford, “Russia is the world’s leading producer of
both oil and natural gas, and also has very large deposits of coal and
numerous nuclear power plants. It is the second largest oil exporter and
is the top gas exporter in the world.”
But based on the 2012 Global Peace Index, Russia is the sixth least
peaceful country on Earth.
Read the rest.
What we can learn from China
China
is the world’s second largest economy. It relies on coal to supply 70%
of its energy needs. Between 2003 and 2008 coal use grew faster than any
other fuel. In 2000 China’s share of world coal production was 28%, by
2009 it was nearly 50%. Over the same period, world coal consumption
increased 48%. To put these amounts into a modern perspective, the use
of fossil fuels in general increased twentyfold during the 20th century.
These fossil fuels have been burned towards transforming one of the
oldest civilisations (founded in 221 BC) into a modern, export-led
economy. Since liberalisations were initiated in 1978, China’s economy
has grown a hundredfold, and remains the world’s fastest growing major
economy.
Read the rest.
NOTE: All of the above (+ India) is published in a Special Report, in the April 2013 issue of FINWEEK:
