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New Energy World magazine logo
New Energy World magazine logo
ISSN 2753-7757 (Online)

A tale of two transitions: The Energy Institute’s Country Transition Tracker highlights the disparity of energy challenges faced across the world

6/11/2024

10 min read

Feature

Woman in headscarf standing in front of small shack with solar panel on roof Photo: World Bank
Bangladesh's Solar Home Systems programme has brought off-grid power to millions

Photo: World Bank

Since taking custodianship of the Statistical Review of World Energy, the Energy Institute has published alongside it the Country Transition Tracker, which assesses the data of around 80 of the world’s largest energy-consuming countries to build a picture of progress towards targets set under the Paris Agreement. While the various metrics published highlight the extent of each country’s progress towards net zero, they do not tell the whole story. Here, Senior Energy Project Lead Gemma Fox discusses two countries that appear to stand at opposite ends of the energy transition spectrum: Iceland and Bangladesh.

There are some stark geographic and economic differences between Bangladesh and Iceland, not least their population sizes and density. Bangladesh has a population of over 172 million, compared to Iceland’s 375,000, which is roughly the size of Bangladesh’s sixth biggest city. Iceland and Bangladesh have roughly similar land mass and consequently their population densities differ significantly, with Iceland having 4 people per km² and Bangladesh 1,330 people per km². Iceland’s economy is predominantly sustained on its renewable energy network, tourism and fishing, which generates a GDP per capita of $70,000, while Bangladesh has a GDP per capita of $9,400, mainly driven by its garment industry.

 

The differences between these nations are further amplified by their climates. Bangladesh is characterised by a tropical climate, experiencing frequent monsoons. Its low-lying geography is dominated by the Ganges Delta, and flooding which poses a continual challenge to its infrastructure. In fact, this, combined with its low-lying geography, makes Bangladesh one of the most climate-vulnerable countries globally.

 

In contrast, Iceland has a sub-Arctic climate, with abundant geothermal and hydropower resources, and offers entirely different energy potential.

 

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