Introduction
We have undeniably come a long way since the idea of using 100% renewable energy was first suggested by Danish physicist Bent Sørensen in 1976.¹ We’ve seen emerging technologies like wind and solar power come of age, coal-fired power stations increasingly coming off the grid and countries like the UK recording periods of time (a record 18 days) when its energy came solely from renewables.²
Global renewable power generation continues to grow and become an ever-greater part of the global energy mix. Renewable capacity reached almost 2,890 GW globally at the end of 2020, more than double 2010’s capacity of 1,227 GW.³ The share of renewables in global electricity generation stood at just over 21% in 2010 and by 2020 it had reached approximately 27%.⁴
However, over the same time period, global CO₂ emissions have risen continuously from just over 23 gigatons of CO₂ (GtCO₂) in 2010 to around 33 GtCO₂ at the beginning of 2020. While we saw figures flatten during 2019, this is not predicted to be the start of a downward trend.⁵
The United Nations (UN) Paris Agreement has set the goal to “limit global warming to well below 2°C, preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels”.⁶ The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) seminal 2018 special report on global warming of 1.5°C highlighted the critical need to meet this target if we are to avert catastrophic climate change.⁷
The difference between achieving 2°C and 1.5°C is predicted to be dramatic. With a 2°C scenario, compared to 1.5°C, we could see 50% more of the global population exposed to water stress, significant increases in heat related deaths and forest fires, and a doubling of the risk that insects and plants will lose 50% of their habitat.⁸
The UN has warned that unless global greenhouse gas emissions fall by 7.6% each year between 2020-30, the world will miss its last chance to get on track towards the 1.5°C temperature goal.⁹
This is a stark warning that unless substantive and rapid change is made now, we are headed for a climate crisis of unprecedented scale.
Climate change is moving faster than we are. We must listen to the Earth’s best scientists.
Secretary-General António Guterres,
United Nations Climate Action Summit, 2018