Strategic Intelligence and Renewable Energy Leadership

Unlike fossil-fuel-centric development pathways, a Renewables-Based Economy (RBE) enables countries to localise energy production, strengthen value chains and upskill the population. Drawing on examples from across the continent, the Brief illustrates that this transformation is not only possible, but already underway. It also underscores the importance of regional cooperation, long-term policy planning and aligning trade and finance systems with the African Union’s energy and development agendas. With initiatives like the Africa Green Minerals Strategy, Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative and growing intra-African power trade, the continent is poised to become a major actor in the global energy transition. 

Amid shifting geopolitics, this Brief offers a timely call to action for African and international stakeholders alike: To foster economic development and industrialisation that is fit for the African contexts, renewables must be at the centre. 

REN21 just launched a new Strategic Intelligence Brief on Africa, spotlighting how African countries can shift from resource extraction models toward inclusive, renewables-driven economic development and industrialisation. Unpacking an African Renewables-based Economy explores how Africa’s wealth in solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal resources and critical minerals can drive industrialisation, economic diversification, and regional value creation. 

As the impacts of climate change intensify, building resilience through renewable energy is essential. Beyond reducing emissions, renewables play a critical role in climate adaptation, helping to stabilise energy systems and empower communities in vulnerable regions. However, climate finance has predominantly focused on mitigation, leaving adaptation efforts underfunded, especially where renewable energy investment is crucial to address pressing climate vulnerabilities.

COP29 presented a pivotal opportunity to scale up renewable energy investments, supporting both mitigation and adaptation strategies to strengthen resilience globally.

This is the first brief in our Resilience Series, published November 2024, focusing on the role of renewable energy in climate adaptation. The Renewables for Climate Resilience brief shows how renewables are often viewed solely as a clean energy solution for mitigation, yet they are equally vital for adaptation, enabling climate resilience. However, mitigation continues to take the lion’s share of climate finance for renewables.

The second brief in our Resilience Series, published December 2024, highlights the critical role of renewable energy in strengthening economic resilience. The Renewables for Economic Resilience Brief explores how renewables help economies adapt to and recover from disruptions, from financial crises to natural disasters, by driving job creation, energy security, and innovation. In a world of growing risks, renewable energy is key to ensuring economies flourish. 

The third brief in our Resilience Series, published December 2024, shows how renewable energy strengthens both social and societal resilience by promoting gender equity, supporting food security, enhancing health, and fostering peace through sustainable and inclusive energy systems. The Renewables for Social & Societal Resilience Brief explores how the shift to renewable energy is not only about sustainability. It is about transforming social, economic and cultural dynamics, all while fostering more equitable and inclusive societies. 

If we want to mainstream renewable energy, we need to look outside of the renewable energy bubble. This means working diverse players. It means illustrating how renewable energy can support broader development and climate objectives. It means identifying those ambassadors and leaders who can catalyse action and drive ambition. To achieve the above we need to be more influential and strategic in its activities.  

REN21’s strategic intelligence activities works to change perceptions about renewables by strategically positioning renewable energy in the development and climate discussions and to strengthen a global, cross-sectoral renewable energy voice. This means:  

• Strategically building on and engaging with a diversity of decision makers, eco-systems, and perspectives, promoting regional and sectoral perspectives.
• Strengthening and amplifying the renewable energy voice(s) to increase its collective influence in societal debates, decision-making, and decisions.
• Changing perception, changing how the public and decision-makers think – or ‘feel’ – about renewable energy 

What started as the Renewable Energy Task Force (RETF) in May 2020, has now evolved into its work on strategic intelligence and renewable energy leadership. The three components of this work are:   

1. Understanding Who is Doing What  

REN21 has developed an Artificial Intelligence- powered Influence Mapping Tool in partnership with The Stakeholder Company (TSC). This tool organises and analyses publicly available information to: 

• Map stakeholders within and beyond renewables 
• Identify entry points to mainstream renewables messaging in public discourse 
• Share actionable intelligence with our members to position themselves better 

The idea is to demonstrate to stakeholders, regardless of governance level, that renewables can support broader development and climate goals. We are constantly working with our community to harness both artificial and human intelligence to strengthen the influence-mapping tool’s taxonomy and produce actionable insights in the form of dashboards, newsletters, and intelligence briefs.  

Complete this Expression of Interest form if you would like to be a part of this activity.

2. Convening and Community Building

We map connections between people and interdependencies between issues to build-up a cross-sectoral community. Building bridges between diverse communities helps to address blind spots and biases.  The result is a better mutual understanding about the “what,” “why” and “how” around mainstreaming renewable energy. These communities are diverse in structure and focus, ranging from renewable energy to end-use sectors, and from local to global in scale.  

REN21 brings the renewable energy and non-energy communities together under the RENdez-vous series: an online interactive space where community can share knowledge, learn new information and build their own networks.  

• Regional RENdez-vous Series: Africa and Southeast Asia
• Global RENdez-vous series
• UNECE Hard Talks – Central Asia  
• Africa Roundup Newsletter 

3. Building Renewable Energy Leadership 

Mainstreaming renewable energy means change management and leadership skill sets in addition to an expertise in energy. Broadening the ownership for the energy transition means building new alliances; with those inside the energy ecosystem, but also with non-energy players. We want to engage with champions, ambassadors, changemakers and support them in their efforts to advocate for renewable energy in a way that is suited to their local realities. 

REN21 highlights different voices build regional leadership of renewable energy players/champions across different geographies – be it Africa, Asia, or South America. 

• REN21 Academy 
• Voices of Africa

 

In preparation for COP28, REN21 leveraged strategic intelligence tools to provide valuable insights on how renewables, fossil fuels, fossil gas, hydrogen, and nuclear are being talked about in the lead-up to COP28. The brief includes information on the latest emerging debates and highlights involving these topics, some significant outcomes that are foreseen from COP28, countries where discussions around renewables and fossil fuels are emerging, and the most mentioned stakeholders. The brief offers both a global overview of the matter as well as regional focuses (North America, Central & South America, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and APAC).

After COP28, REN21 produced a brief that outlines the main highlights, media trends, and debates gathered from tracking coverage during and after the climate conference in Dubai. The data analysis includes specific issues around renewables vs. other energy sources, as well as keywords that stood out from COP28 across regions and sectors.

Download the Lead up to COP28 brief here.

Download the After COP28 brief here.

 

REN21’s activities around Strategic Intelligence and Renewables Leadership are evolving. Please complete this Expression of Interest form if you are interested in contributing.  

REN21 Strategic Intelligence and Renewable Energy Leadership activities receive support from IKI. Any person who believes they may be harmed by an IKI project or who wish to report corruption or the misuse of funds, can lodge a complaint to the IKI Independent Complaint Mechanism at IKI-complaints@z-u-g.org. The IKI complaint mechanism has a panel of independent experts who will investigate the complaint. In the course of the investigation, we will consult with the complainant so as to avoid unnecessary risks for the complainant. More information can be found at: https://www.international-climate-initiative.com/en/aboutiki/values-responsibility/independentcomplaint-mechanism/