Clean Energy

Whether we read the local media, or the international press releases and news releases by the COP, one thing is clear. The transition to a more sustainable energy system is not progressing as one would hope for.

From the COP 27 website, we quote the following:

• On 20 November, the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), that took place in the Egyptian coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh, concluded with a historic decision to establish and operationalize a loss and damage fund.
• Welcoming the decision and calling the fund essential, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that more needs to be done to drastically reduce emissions now. “The world still needs a giant leap on climate ambition.” “The red line we must not cross is the line that takes our planet over the 1.5 degree temperature limit,” he stressed, urging the world not to relent “in the fight for climate justice and climate ambition.” “We can and must win this battle for our lives,” he concluded.
• From 6 to 20 November, COP27 held high-level and side events, key negotiations, and press conferences, hosting more than 100 Heads of State and Governments, over 35,000 participants and numerous pavilions.

This is a positive result, but scrolling through the statements and comments issued by various media, I conclude that the COP hasn’t resulted in the necessary actions. That only last-minute steps were taken, show an underlying problem: fundamental different views on how to tackle the issue of climate change and how to finance its costly measures.

Few recent quotes from the UN Secretary-General describing the concerns:

• “COP27 is scheduled to wrap up in 24 hours but countries remain divided on several significant issues including ‘loss and damage’, the UN Secretary-General said on Thursday, urging parties to rise to the urgency of the moment and agree on real solutions to solve the greatest challenge facing humanity. “
• “There is clearly a breakdown in trust between North and South, and between developed and emerging economies. This is no time for finger-pointing. The blame game is a recipe for mutually assured destruction,” António Guterres told journalists at the Sharm el-Sheikh International Conference Centre. The UN chief urged countries to deliver the kind of meaningful action that people, and the planet, so desperately need. “The world is watching and has a simple message: stand and deliver,” he underscored.

Refer for further details to: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/cop27

For some time now, I haven’t published a blog as I’m wondering more and more about our energy systems and executed approaches in the Western world. Looking particularly at the Netherlands, I’m not so hopeful that we will meet the 2030 targets, let alone the one’s for 2050. My believe in nuclear power is growing by the day, as this will speed up the transition, besides the necessary growth in solar and wind energy, and use of renewable gases. Sure, we’ll introduce other risks, but what’s worse ? But irrespective of the above, our collective focus should be on an integral approach of addressing climate change in a responsible way.

Thijs Aarten.

Despite an interesting recent article in the Dutch FD (*), by Mathijs Bouman, on the accuracy of forecasting by IEA, I continue to find the IEA reports very worthwhile to read and reflect upon. There is indeed a potential danger that, in case forecasts are too pessimistic, this could create unwanted actions. Nevertheless, it’s better to be safe than sorry with all negative consequences. (*): the article published in FD (Financial Daily newspaper) on May 15, 2021 outlined the views of a columnist that the advance of solar energy is systematically underestimated by the IEA.

IEA reported, amongst others, the following insights:

“Climate pledges by governments to date – even if fully achieved – are well short of what’s required to bring global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by 2050.”

“Our pathway requires the immediate and massive deployment of all available clean and efficient energy technologies. That includes annual additions of solar PV to reaching 630 gigawatts by 2030, and those of wind power reaching 390 gigawatts. Together, that’s four times the record level set in 2020.”

“Most of the global reductions in CO2 emissions between now and 2030 in our net zero pathway come from technologies already on the market today. But in 2050, almost half the reductions come from technologies that are currently only at the demonstration or prototype phase. This calls for major innovation progress this decade.”

For more information, please click here.

• “A rise in CO2 emissions of almost 5% in 2021 compared to 2020.”
• “Global energy demand is set to increase by 4.6% in 2021, more than offsetting the 4% contraction in 2020 and pushing demand 0.5% above 2019 levels.”
• “Demand for renewables grew by 3% in 2020 and is set to increase across all key sectors – power, heating, industry and transport – in 2021. The power sector leads the way, with its demand for renewables on course to expand by more than 8% in 2021.”
• “Solar PV and wind are expected to contribute two-thirds of renewables’ growth.”

Food for thought when reading the latest message from the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, made at the opening of the recent 2-day Leaders’ Summit on Climate, who called on leaders everywhere to take urgent climate action:  “Mother Nature is not waiting”, he said. “We need a green planet — but the world is on red alert.” Click here for more details.

For further details, please refer to: https://www.iea.org/reports/global-energy-review-2021