In the face of impending change in the energy sector, a gradual reduction in energy subsidies might be the key to changing individual behaviour, a senior renewable energy official said in the capital yesterday. This change in individual patterns of energy consumption is especially necessary now that the world has reached certain natural limits of sustainability, Adnan Amin, interim director general of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) told Gulf News. \"People need to take their use of energy and water seriously, given the climate change and resource depletion the world is facing. In the UAE, where consumption of both is highly subsidised, a progressive reduction in subsidies, although unpopular with people, will signal that they need to reduce their consumption or prevent wastage of water and energy,\" Amin said. \"In addition, the Middle East is also displaying a remarkable resurgence of interest in the opportunities presented by renewable energy,\" he added. According to the official, an industrial revolution is looming within the next five years because of the changes in energy resource use. \"International discussions on emission reduction are merely a kind of post-facto way of mitigating problems, but what is really needed is a fundamental shift in economic activity,\" Amin said. \"Currently, the energy subsidies in place in the Middle East mean that it is much more expensive for these countries to consume their own oil than to export it. As a result, it will be cheaper for them in the long run to incorporate renewable energy into their production systems. The realisation of this opportunity is creating a new situation in the Middle East, with Masdar\'s first zero carbon city driving the way ahead,\" he explained. The Irena, which currently boasts 153 member countries, is currently working to create ‘enabling frameworks\' using which nations can increase their use of renewable energy sources like water, wind and solar power. Starting tomorrow, the agency will work with 45 African countries to chart a way forward in deploying renewable energy in Africa. \"The challenge in using renewable energy is often how to overcome intermittent flow in power generation. So we are looking at ways of progressively combining existing resources with renewable energy in Africa,\" Amin said. From / Gulf News