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ePaper created 2014-06-03, 15:03:20 | version 1.30.01
104 06 FEATURE: TRACKING THE GLOBAL ENERGY TRANSITION While Europe has been the centre of most such changes to date, countries in other regions are moving quickly in this direction as their shares of renewable energy increase. Policies that encourage local value creation (such as capacity building) also have begun to emerge in many countries. Recently, as renewable energy shares continue to rise, regulations that focus on mandatory grid connection and priority dispatch are becoming increasingly important. The past decade has witnessed profound change on the local level as well. Ten years ago, the majority of local governments did not consider the potential role for renewables in their energy supply. Over the past decade, many of them have become leaders in the advancement of renewable energy—particularly in combination with energy efficiency improvements—regularly exceeding efforts taken by state, provincial, and national governments. Hundreds of local governments worldwide have set renewable energy targets and enacted fiscal incentives or other policies to foster the deployment of renewables, driven by the desire to create local jobs, reduce energy costs, address pollution issues, and advance their sustainability goals.30 Internationalorganisationsdedicatedtosupportingsustainability measures in local governments, such as the Covenant of Mayors and ICLEI–Local Governments for Sustainability, have seen their memberships skyrocket and their influence spread around the globe. Around the world, governments at the community, city, regional, island, and even country levels have begun to forge their own transition pathways towards a 100% renewable energy future. They are debunking myths about renewables and proving that 100% renewable energy—in close conjunction with energy efficiency and conservation—is technically feasible, economically advantageous, and socially desirable.31 While the picture in much of the world has grown increasingly bright, some countries—particularly in Europe—have reduced renewable energy support, sometimes retroactively, in the past few years. This is the case especially where electricity demand has declined in response to economic slowdown, and where an overcapacity of conventional power exists. To date, however, the European Union is on track to meet its member-agreed binding target to increase the share of renewables in final energy consumption to 20% by 2020.32 Reportedly, three EU Member States (Bulgaria, Estonia, and Sweden) already reached their 2020 targets in 2012.33 Discussions about setting 2030 EU climate and energy targets are ongoing. ■■ A PROMISING FUTURE FOR RENEWABLES In contrast to 2004, the use of renewable energy technologies to provide electricity, heating and cooling, and transportation is now widely spread across the globe, and recent trends suggest sustained growth worldwide. A decade ago, renewables had a strong appeal to those who were interested in moving away from conventional fuels for environmental reasons. Today, renewables have demonstrated that, in addition to their environmental benefits, they are also economic drivers, creating jobs, helping to diversify revenue streams, and stimulating new technological developments. The share of renewables in global electricity generation continues to increase while the share of nuclear power has been declining over the past decade.34 The idea of achieving very high shares of non-hydro renewable energy was quite radical 10 years ago, yet today it is considered feasible by many experts. Several local, regional, and national governments around the world have committed to 100% renewable energy in one or more sectors within the coming decades. Nonetheless, the renewable energy sector still faces numerous challenges. Enormous subsidies for fossil fuels and nuclear power persist, and they continue to vastly outweigh financial incentives for renewables. Many countries are directing increasing resources towards the exploration and extraction of unconventional fossil resources, while most governments remain reluctant to internalise the external costs associated with the extraction and use of fossil fuels. Further advances and investment in renewable energy, as well as improvements in energy efficiency, must continue if the increase in global temperature is to be limited to 2°C. For this to happen, stable and predictable policy frameworks are key. Integrated policy approaches that incorporate energy efficiency—considered as the low-hanging fruit on the path to sustainability—will further facilitate the global transition to renewable energy. The past decade has set the wheels in motion for this transition, but a concerted and sustained effort will be required to fully achieve it. With increasingly ambitious targets, innovative policies, and technological advances, renewables can continue to surpass expectations and foster a cleaner energy future.