Renewables on the rise
For the 760 million people in the world who lack access to electricity, the introduction of modern clean energy solutions can enable vital services such as improved healthcare, better education, and internet access, thus creating new jobs, improving livelihoods, and reducing poverty.
Driven by the global energy crisis and policy momentum, renewable power – led by solar photovoltaic and wind energy – has grown dramatically. In 2020, modern renewables accounted for 12.6 per cent of the total final energy consumption and the total final energy demand grew by 19 per cent between 2009 and 2019.
In 2019, US$366 billion was invested in renewables, with the International Energy Association (IEA) forecasting that cumulative world renewable capacity will reach more than 4,500 GW at the end of 2024, equal to the total power capacity of China and the United States.
While these are encouraging numbers, annual capacity additions of renewable power are insufficient to deliver the transition to a low-carbon energy system. With thermal energy representing approximately half of global final energy demand – the role of renewable heating and cooling needs to be accelerated for industry and buildings.
In order to limit warming to 1.5°C, the world requires three times more renewable energy capacity by 2030, or at least 11,000 GW. This was recognized at COP28, as countries signed the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge, committing to work together to triple the world’s installed renewable energy generation capacity to at least 11,000 GW by 2030.
While the world intensifies the clean energy transition, we will need over three billion tonnes of energy transition minerals and metals to deploy wind, solar, energy storage and more. Yet, critical minerals come with environmental, social, economic, geopolitical and trade.
UNEP and renewable energy
Many types of barriers hamper the widespread deployment of renewable energy. UNEP helps to break down the barriers by: Providing advice to governments on policies that create a more favourable enabling environment for renewable energy; Working with the finance sector to encourage investment by lowering risks for renewable energy projects; Raising awareness of successful approaches to policy and technology options; Providing information, and dispelling myths about renewable energy.
UNEP engages directly with the public and private sector to develop sustainable markets for renewable energy. This is accomplished through individual projects and programmes, as well as through the development of policy frameworks, principles and norms, and networks of practice.
UNEP also collaborates with REN21, a global renewable energy community of actors from science, governments, NGOs, and industry which provides peer-reviewed facts, figures, and analysis of global technology, policy and market developments.
Finally, UNEP also promotes the development of renewable energy by driving the financial community’s investment in low-carbon development and sustainable energy. Through a range of projects, UNEP engages with governments, private sector and financial institutions to leverage private sector financing and provide turnkey and cost-efficient solutions that accelerate the transition to a more sustainable world and support governments in achieving their national low-carbon development ambitions.
Renewable heating cooperation
UNEP, through the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre and in partnership with the Danish Energy Agency and the China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute, has set up the Sino-Danish Clean and Renewable Heating Centre. The Centre promotes best practices in energy mapping, heat planning, legislation, technical and real-life applications of clean and renewable heating through a collection of knowledge products, an expert panel and workshops and training.
