The rapidly changing energy landscape
When I was recently asked by an old friend why I prefer working independently after having worked for large organizations for more than 25 years, I summed it up in three points. One is my independence to decide where, when, and on what issues I will work. The second is my freedom to only work with people I like to work with. It's a joy many who have worked in a considerable bureaucracy will likely recognize. But the third is the best: I learn much more daily.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
And today is a good example. As you know, I follow this week the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) from the comfort of my Dutch island home since all meetings that I do want to follow are broadcasted live on ADSW.live. And while watching debates and presentations, I catch up with the latest reports or press briefings, which often leads me to earlier publications I had missed.
A side note on that comfort of my home I just mentioned; that is a far too sunny qualification of my experience since the heating broke down on Saturday morning. I may someday share with you my theory that these things always happen early on the weekend when nobody is available to help. So participating online, without any heating in the Dutch winter, will likely qualify me as the most energy-efficient meeting participant. And it is even more likely, given the UAE's geographical location, that I'm the only participant wearing two sweaters.
Monday morning at 8 am CET (which for American readers is 2 am E.T.), the official opening of the ADSW will take place, and it follows two days of related meetings that are an integrated part of the week. One of them was the IRENA Assembly, the International Renewable Energy Agency. I experienced it as another example of learning a lot in one day. Let me share some of the things I picked up today, for instance, from the new medium-term strategy that the members adopted, which calls for more action, cooperation, and innovation.
The energy landscape is rapidly changing.
The last decade moved renewables from niche to mainstream. We witnessed this in a fundamental shift in the balance of competitiveness between renewables and fossil fuel and nuclear options: renewable capacity surged by 130%, while non-renewables only grew by 24%.
Solar PV installations were a real winner, with a fascinating 21-fold increase since 2010. However, the report mentions that despite their relatively steady growth, investments in renewable technologies remain limited and concentrated in only a handful of regions and countries.
It's a bumpy ride from fossil fuels to renewables
I find it hard to find a historical example of a global transition with enormous consequences that went smoothly, making it easier to accept that we are on a bumpy ride to a new energy system that is not permanently destroying the normal living conditions on our planet. There is hope and fear in already turbulent times. Just look at the news and your experiences in the past few years; it makes you appreciate that the shift from carbon to renewables is taking place. There were disruptions in the economy and in societies by the pandemic, warfare, and water-energy-food-resources crises.
Add to this mix the climate crisis. We see more and more devastating floods, droughts, heatwaves, extreme storms, and wildfires that now, daily, remind us that this is a crisis and there is not a day to waste. In addition, the past eight years have been the warmest ever measured. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) predicted a 93% chance that at least one in the next five years will be the hottest on record. All these factors make the role of the International Renewable Energy Agency highly relevant.
But look at this summing up, and imagine what the world would look like if we rapidly moved away from our dependence on fossil fuels. Because of the increased concerns around energy, several countries and regions have revised their energy transition strategies to more ambitious levels and timelines.
We have the technology
The good news is that a critical mass of solutions required for the transition to renewables until 2030 now exists. The report states: "Electrification and efficiency, enabled by renewables, hydrogen, and sustainable biomass, are emerging as pillars of energy transitions. Investment in a comprehensive and systemic change – involving not just a mix of technologies but also the policy packages to put them in place and optimize structural, economic, and social impact – will be the key to the collective ability to realize development and climate objectives."
I plan to return to the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy in March when IRENA publishes its annual World Energy Transitions Outlook. In the past years, I felt the same feelings of hope and fear when reading the previous editions: we know what we need to do and have the technology to make the transition, but we need the political will.
Have a look at this graph. Sultan Al Jaber, who will chair COP28, had these numbers in mind when he spoke today to the IRENA Assembly: "
“Over the next 7 years, we will need to more than triple renewable generating capacity worldwide. The world must move much faster than ever before."
And to make that change, I believe we need to have all stakeholders on board, with all their different backgrounds and interests. Because this is a tiny planet in a vast, cold, and empty universe. We are all marooned on this paradise-like planet, and to keep it beautiful, green, and livable, we have no other option than to work together and be bold, innovative, and fair.
Notes:
https://mc-cd8320d4-36a1-40ac-83cc-3389-cdn-endpoint.azureedge.net/-/media/Files/IRENA/Remember/Assembly/Thirteenth-session-of-the-Assembly/A_13_L4_Report-of-the-Director-General-Draft-Medium-Term-Strategy-2023-2027.pdf?rev=f8c8534ab6e8456b902a6b76922a829d&hash=DA90B3BF3F7F4AF023C5E219B123128E
Some of the KEY WORDS here are: "We have the technology." So we must keep pressure on our leaders to do the things that must be done. Thank you for this incredible information, Alexander, and I hope that your heat is restored by the time this comment is posted!
To the most energy efficient ADSW participant, I’m sorry for your misadventures and hope you’ll extra soon get your heating fixed.
I’m also hoping to be able soon to watch more than 2 minutes of these debates and am also looking forward for positive outcomes in working for nature since as you say we have the technology and the stakeholders are ready to be involved.