Renewable Energy: A key climate solution
Energy use is changing fast. The shift to renewable sources, however, needs to happen faster, not just in power generation but in heating, buildings and transport, to check the rise in global temperatures.
Renewables could supply four-fifths of the world’s electricity by2050, massively cutting carbon emissions and helping to mitigate climate change. But solar and wind power have to be fully integrated, with sustainable bioenergy providing another key part of the mix.
This entire means speeding up innovation in business and technology. Above it all, it means taking action to promote renewable energy today.
Decarbonisation of the energy sector requires urgent action on a global scale. While a global energy transition is under way, further action is needed to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. The urgent need for action on decarbonisation is apparent, as the world has already experienced nearly 1°C of global warming, with temperatures rising steadily over the past 25 years at 0.03°C per year. Under the Paris Agreement, the global community has agreed to limit temperature rise to well below 2°C, with the aim of limiting it to 1.5°C. Without decisive action, the world will experience the effects of a 2°C rise in temperature in the coming 30 to 40 years. Energy decarbonisation will be central to the changes needed for a sustainable future. Around two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to the supply and use of energy from fossil fuels. These emissions must be reduced substantially, while at the same time ensuring sufficient energy is available for continued economic growth. This transition process will take decades, as the carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emission intensity of global economic activity needs to be reduced by 85% over the next 35 years. The result is a decline in energy-related CO2 emissions of 2.6% per year on average, or 0.6 gigatonnes (Gt) per year in absolute terms.
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