Renewable power is usually outlined as any power supply that’s repeatedly replenished. It consists of photo voltaic and wind energy in addition to bioenergy (natural matter burned as gas) and hydroelectric energy.
IRENA’s Francesco La Digicam, spoke to UN Information forward of a particular assembly on Friday on transitioning to sustainable sources of power which is happening on the United Nations in New York as a part of the primary ever Sustainability Week.
Making certain entry to reasonably priced dependable, sustainable and fashionable power for all individuals wherever they’re on the planet, is the goal of Sustainable Development Goal 7.
UN Information: What challenges have you ever confronted when making an attempt to influence governments, worldwide organizations and different stakeholders to embrace renewable power?
Francesco La Digicam: There are not any difficulties in persuading governments to undertake renewable power, however from the commitments to the motion, there may be all the time one thing lagging.
UN Information/Jing Zhang
IRENA Director-Basic Francesco La Digicam (second left) visits an offshore wind energy venture by China’s Yancheng Metropolis.
What’s necessary in relation to the international locations, with our members, is to help them to find the fitting strategy to translate dedication into motion. I believe that is the problem we now have to face: how we will transfer to tripling renewable set up capability by 2030? Now what’s at stake is how we will actually obtain this objective.
UN Information: How you can overcome these challenges to make sure that international locations commit and take actions?
Francesco La Digicam: All of the international locations have made commitments. Now we have to rewrite the way in which worldwide company works. On this respect, all completely different entities concerned should make an effort.
For instance, at IRENA, we now have been working with President William Ruto of Kenya to forge a partnership to speed up the renewable power deployment in Africa. This initiative, ‘Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa’ (APRA), was launched throughout the first Africa Local weather Summit in Nairobi final yr and a joint assertion was signed by leaders of APRA at COP 28 to drive the renewable power transition as a strategic answer to power entry, safety, and inexperienced development in Africa.
We now have seven African international locations, together with Kenya in addition to developed international locations reminiscent of Denmark, Germany, the US and we even have the UAE concerned. That is an instance of how we are attempting to rewrite the panorama of worldwide cooperation. We’re constructing the plan and supporting these international locations in creating their very own plans for fostering renewables. Collectively we rework to a brand new worldwide cooperation mechanism to show their plans into actuality.
UN Information: Are there notable variations in approaches, commitments, and reactions between creating and developed international locations, with regards to the power transition?
Francesco La Digicam: The developed world has to alter the system. However the creating international locations can leap ahead and transition on to a brand new power system as there are lack of actual power techniques. The primary distinction lies within the standing of the power system in these completely different elements of world, which is mirrored largely within the current inequality.
The opposite side is that the developed international locations might have the instruments, devices, and monetary sources to drive the adjustments.
UN Information/Daniel Dickinson
A farmer in Madagascar connects a solar-powered pump with a purpose to irrigate his crops.
The creating world wants help in lots of facets. Nations require monetary and technological help, to alternate experiences and expertise. These are obstacles that have to be overcome at present to hurry up the transition, particularly in Africa.
On this respect, Africa might be an important powerhouse on the planet for renewable power and inexperienced hydrogen [a clean and renewable energy carrier]. However Africa lacks the infrastructure to make this potential useful to its individuals, which might additionally profit the world. Infrastructure reminiscent of ports, pipelines, and civil infrastructure are decisive and essential.
UN Information: May you give us an instance of a website go to the place you witnessed the essential function of renewable power in attaining Sustainable Improvement Purpose 7 by 2030?
Francesco La Digicam: One instance that impressed me was Mauritius, the place our help for the photo voltaic panel set up in non-public homes, non-public buildings and public buildings has been really reworking the panorama, giving an enormous impulse for attaining SDG 7.
UN Information: Do you suppose the examples you talked about might be replicated elsewhere on the planet?
Francesco La Digicam: To hurry up the transition, we have to overcome some structural obstacles that exist at present. Infrastructure is the primary barrier to beat. With out environment friendly electrical energy, and with out offering storage interconnectivity, flexibility, balancing of the grids, we can’t progress. Modernizing and constructing infrastructure the place absent is the highest precedence.
There are additionally the issues linking to the present authorized framework. The market remains to be designed in a method that doesn’t favor the deployment of renewables. There are nonetheless plenty of subsidies for fossil gas initiatives which I believe ought to be tackled instantly.
UN Photograph/Jawad Jalali
An influence line provides electrical energy to the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Moreover, energy buy agreements are designed in a method that daunts renewable power growth. Market pricing mechanisms typically don’t help renewables, as a result of renewables want long run contracts for stability and safety within the electrical energy offered and the associated fee to be paid.
Lastly, we want expert professionals and skillful workforce to be deployed on the bottom.
Now we have to beat these three obstacles, if we really need the power system to speed up the transition from fossil fuels, as known as for at COP28 in Dubai a number of months in the past.
UN Information: How can regular residents contribute to the renewable power transition?
Francesco La Digicam: Prime of FormWe are striving to be extra environment friendly in all our selections, however what’s extra necessary is the authorized setting the place everybody feels compelled to take motion. We can’t solely name for the ethical imperatives, the society additionally makes a neater and easier setting for individuals to make the fitting selections, when it comes to effectivity and power conservation.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
- Enhance share of renewable power globally
- Double international fee of enchancment in power effectivity
- Develop infrastructure and improve expertise for supplying fashionable, sustainable power providers
- Improve worldwide cooperation to facilitate entry to scrub power analysis and expertise, together with renewable power, power effectivity and superior and cleaner fossil-fuel expertise
- Develop infrastructure and improve expertise for supplying fashionable and sustainable power providers for all in creating nations, particularly least developed international locations, small island creating States and land-locked creating international locations
Worldwide funding for clear power in creating international locations has dropped to simply $10.8 billion in 2021 from a peak of $26.4 billion in 2017.
IRENA is an intergovernmental company aiming to help international locations of their transition to a sustainable power future. Earlier this yr on 26 January, the UN noticed the primary Worldwide Day of Clear Vitality which coincides IRENA’s founding anniversary.
