The climate crisis is advancing. The COP 28 climate conference must therefore finally push forward the global energy transition, demands EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and others in an exclusiveen guest post.
The world is not on track with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degree target; The global energy transition has veered dangerously off course. The report on the global stocktaking of the Paris Agreement confirms what we already experience and feel in our everyday lives. This year is one of the hottest since weather records began. Wildfires, droughts, floods and extreme weather events caused by climate change have caused devastating loss and damage around the world.
This is a joint guest post by IE Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; SE Dr. Sultan Al-Jaber, President-elect of COP 28, UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change; HE William Ruto, President of Kenya; IE Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency;
Francesco La Camera, Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency
The United Nations Environment Program estimates that the impacts of climate change will cost countries worldwide up to $300 billion annually by 2030. But there is hope. We are determined to have an impact on the future of our planet. We can get back on track by taking urgent action now. We can still use the tools that we believe will have the greatest impact on reducing emissions – namely accelerating the deployment of renewable energy and promoting energy efficiency.
The relevant solutions are technically sophisticated and competitively priced. The use of renewable energy and the promotion of energy efficiency can bring countless additional benefits in addition to the provision of clean energy and the associated reduced demand for less environmentally friendly energy. They create future-proof jobs, strengthen our environment and improve air quality – thereby protecting our health and well-being. You can also support us on the path to fairer and more sustainable industrialization, including in emerging and developing countries.
UN Climate Conference COP 28
The UN climate conference COP 28 will take place in Dubai from November 30 to December 12, 2023. The goal of the annual World Climate Conference is to contain the climate crisis that affects everyone on this planet. 198 countries take part.
After all, we are all in the same boat. While renewable energy and energy efficiency are not the only solutions to combat climate change, they are critical to getting the world back on track with the 1.5 degree target – before it slips out of reach. We have the necessary solutions and we have already made great progress in expanding global renewable energy capacity and increasing energy efficiency in recent years. However, progress is still too slow.
As analyzes by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) show, we must work together to triple global renewable energy capacity to 11,000 gigawatts while doubling annual energy efficiency improvements. These goals can be achieved through stronger policies that can build on current momentum. The use of solar and wind energy is increasing rapidly worldwide as countries increasingly recognize the benefits of these energy sources for energy security.
In addition, almost 50 states have the most recent IEA Declaration of Versailles signed and thereby committed to the goal of doubling energy efficiency. However, we must set a global level of ambition, fix a common horizon to unite all countries behind these crucial goals and thus send a strong signal to all of humanity.
Challenges around the world
The importance of a regional approach cannot be overstated in achieving climate goals and facilitating a fair and just transition to sustainable energy systems. All over the world, we must simultaneously meet the challenges while taking regional characteristics into account. In small island states that are particularly vulnerable to climate change, renewable energy and energy efficiency offer the prospect of rapid decarbonization of small, often unconnected energy systems.
While in Africa almost 600 million people no access to have electricity and almost a billion no access to clean cooking, the abundance of renewable resources gives hope for reliable and cost-efficient access to energy for all by 2030. We must realize the full potential of global cooperation by driving it forward through strong national and regional approaches and initiatives, building on the promising momentum of this week’s Africa Climate Summit and continuing it through the G20 and the coming climate weeks on the way to COP 28 carry on.
