Net zero under risk of delays by decades due to international 'collaboration gap'

By Nuran Erkul Kaya

ISTANBUL (AA) - Greater international cooperation is necessary to get the world on track to meet climate commitments despite progress made to deliver on the historic clean technology commitment by governments representing two-thirds of the global economy, the first annual Breakthrough Agenda Report warns Tuesday.

At the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 45 countries committed to making clean technologies the most affordable, accessible and attractive option in major greenhouse gas emitting sectors by 2030 under the Breakthrough Agenda.

Clean power, electric vehicles (EV), low-carbon steel and hydrogen and sustainable farming are the five key sectors in which countries committed to coordinate investment to scale up deployment and drive down the costs under the Breakthrough Agenda.

These five sectors account for 60% of the current global greenhouse gas emissions and could deliver the bulk of the emissions reductions needed by 2030 in a pathway that would make significant contributions to limiting global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C, in line with the Paris Agreement goals.

Forty-five world leaders requested the report that set out 25 collaborative actions to offer these sectors the most affordable options to scale up clean technologies.

As a first assessment of priorities for strengthened collaborative action and progress so far produced by the International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the United Nations Climate Change High-Level Champions, the report was published ahead of the US-hosted Global Clean Energy Action Forum.

- Global renewable capacity could reach 300-gigawatt milestone

The report found that despite the annual doubling of EV sales in 2021 to a new record of 6.6 million, zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) only accounted for around 9% of global car sales in 2021.

It said that sales need to reach 60% by 2030 and be supported by a 10-fold increase in public charging infrastructure.

Global renewable energy capacity is forecast to increase by 8% this year, heading towards a 300-gigawatt milestone for the first time. This capacity is equivalent to powering approximately 225 million homes.

Based on new renewable capacity additions in 2021, global electricity generation cost reductions are calculated to reach at least $55 billion in 2022, the report found.

Global renewable capacity increased 130% over the past decade while non-renewable sources grew by 24%. However, renewable capacity for climate targets requires the addition of 630 gigawatts of solar and 30 gigawatts of wind each year by 2030, four times the current annual growth.

Annual investments in the power sector need to reach an estimated $2 trillion by 2030 on a net zero by 2050 pathway, including around $1 trillion for renewable power and $650 billion for grids, according to IEA calculations.

- International collaboration could make the transition quicker and cheaper

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said that international collaboration would allow a quicker transition, which would be easier for everyone on the back of faster innovation, greater economies of scale, bigger incentives to invest, level playing fields and benefits that are shared across all parts of society.

"We are in the midst of the first truly global energy crisis, with devastating knock-on consequences across the world economy, especially in developing countries. Only by speeding up the transition to clean sustainable energy can we achieve lasting energy security," Birol was quoted as saying in the report.

Some clean energy technology costs may decline by as much as 18% by 2030, according to IEA research.

"Without this collaboration, the transition to net zero emissions will be much more challenging and could be delayed by decades," Birol warned.

- Radical and immediate action is a “must” for 1.5°C path

IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera said the energy and climate crisis has exposed the weakness and vulnerabilities of a system heavily dependent on fuels of the 20th century.

"Anything short of radical and immediate action will ultimately eliminate the chance of staying on the 1.5°C path. The Breakthrough Agenda and our joint report send a strong signal ahead of COP27 that greater international collaboration can amplify ambition and accelerate progress," he said.

"Advancing the transition to renewables is a strategic choice to bring affordable energy, jobs, economic growth and a cleaner environment to the people on the ground," he added.

IRENA forecasts that the energy transition aligned with 1.5°C goal could create close to 85 million additional jobs by 2030 compared to 2019, more than offsetting losses of 12 million jobs.

Nigel Topping, a UN high-level champion for Climate Action at COP26, called on thousands of non-state actors to drive the transition to affordable zero emission solutions in each emitting sector of the economy.

"This is as essential for development as it is for avoiding dangerous climate change. Clear steps must be taken at COP27 to implement the Breakthrough Agenda commitment to collective action that makes clean technologies affordable and available to all who need them throughout the world," Topping noted.

- 25 recommendations in report

The report includes 25 recommendations for leaders to discuss at the Global Clean Energy Action Forum and the 13th Clean Energy Ministerial meetings to be held in Pittsburg, the US, on Sept. 21-23, 2022.

The suggestions include increasing the share of variable renewables, creating new cross-border super-grids this decade to expand trade in low-carbon power and reduce emissions while improving energy security, and setting up new international centers of expertise to channel finance and technical assistance to help transition in coal-producing countries.

The report recommends agreeing on target dates by which all new road vehicles will be net zero and targeting 2035 for cars and vans and the 2040s for heavy-duty vehicles.

Increasing investment in charging infrastructure, determining standards to boost the recyclability of batteries, driving demand and deployment of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen, developing public and private commitments to purchase near-zero emission steel, expanding investment for agriculture technologies and farming practices that can cut emissions and developing international standards for monitoring and reporting on the state of natural resources on which agriculture depends are among the urgent recommendations of the report.