COVID19 Stimulus Packages Must Accelerate Energy Transition To Avert Climate Crisis
The REN21 Renewables 2020 Global Status Report (GSR) launched today is a stark reminder that despite the growth of renewables in some sectors and in some countries, the world is not on track to avert climate breakdown. Cutting emissions by half by 2030 and curbing pollution to keep warming below 1.5°C requires rapidly switching to renewables, alongside efforts to strengthen energy efficiency in all sectors.
The report confirms that while switching to renewables has increased in a few countries (mainly in the electricity sector), overall sectoral transformation remains dismal. Renewables in the electricity sector have grown significantly in recent years, primarily in relation to wind and solar and currently amounts to around 27% of total energy use. The power sector consumes only a small proportion of total energy use, at around 18%. Only 3% of global transport is powered by renewables despite the sector consuming 32% of total energy. Similarly, the cooling and heating sectors are still primarily powered by fossil fuels.
According to the International Energy Agency, the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown of activities have resulted in an estimated 8% reduction in carbon emissions this year. To sustain this rate of decline beyond the pandemic and avert destructive warming, we need to radically shift energy systems in all sectors to renewables and improve energy efficiency. The economic recovery and stimulus packages by governments to offset the impact of the current economic crisis should reflect this shift. The report confirms that the social and economic advantages of shifting to renewables must form the bedrock of policies in a post COVID-19 world.
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