COP28 in UAE: Map to fast-tracking energy transition unveiled to keep 1.5°C within reach

The COP28 Presidency, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA) have launched a joint report on fast-tracking the energy transition to keep the Paris Agreement 1.5-degrees Celsius target within reach.

The report titled: ‘Tripling Renewable Power and Doubling Energy Efficiency by 2030: Crucial Steps Towards 1.5 °C’, was unveiled on the sidelines of the Pre-COP in Abu Dhabi. The two-day event comes a month ahead of COP28 and serves as a platform for countries to lay the groundwork for negotiations at the global climate summit.

The report aims to help guide parties on the key enablers required to meet the energy targets. It provides actionable policy recommendations for governments and the private sector on how to increase global renewable energy capacity to at least 11,000 GW while also doubling annual average energy efficiency improvements in the target period.

This falls under the COP28 Presidency’s Action Agenda objective of fast-tracking a just and orderly energy transition to keep 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach.

“Tripling the deployment of renewable power generation and doubling energy efficiency are amongst the most important levers to cut greenhouse gas emissions,” COP28 President Dr Sultan Al Jaber said in the report. “I am now calling on everyone to come together, commit to common targets, and take comprehensive domestic and international action, as outlined in this report, to make our ambitions a reality.”

IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera added: “Our mission is as clear as it is urgent: We need concerted action to triple renewable power capacity by 2030. This includes urgently addressing deeply entrenched systemic barriers across infrastructure, policy and institutional capacities stemming from the fossil-fuel era."

"IRENA’s World Energy Transitions Outlook, which provides the analytical foundation of this report, warns that the energy transition is dangerously off-track, demanding immediate, radical collective action. This report outlines actions governments must prioritize to fast-track the global energy transition and keep 1.5 degrees Celsius alive.”

Bruce Douglas, Global Renewables Alliance CEO, noted that tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency is the most impactful commitment policymakers can make to combating climate change.

“These steps will deliver cleaner electricity systems, open up access to affordable energy and deliver clean green jobs for millions of people. The rapid upscaling of renewable energy will require policymakers to work hand-in-hand with industry and civil society to urgently implement the enabling actions in this report — infrastructure and system operation; policy and regulation; and supply chains, skills, and capacities. Critically, these areas must be reinforced by low-cost financing and international collaboration. Working together to secure a livable future for all.”

The report, which draws extensively on the analysis presented in IRENA’s World Energy Transitions Outlook 2023: 1.5 °C pathway, divides the key enablers into five sections, covering — infrastructure and system operation; policy and regulation; supply chain, skills, and capacities; scaling-up public and private finance; and enhancing international collaboration.

The collaboration between the COP28 Presidency, IRENA, and the GRA reflects the growing global consensus on achieving these targets. Ahead of COP28, the Presidency and the European Commission are calling for countries to support the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge, with Champion countries already committed to supporting these global targets.

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