The International Energy Agency (IEA) considers that the world can achieve the goal of “zero emissions” in the energy sector in 2050, tripling the production capacity of renewable energy between now and 2030.
The IEA published this Tuesday the update of the 2021 strategy to achieve the objectives by mid-century and limit the global increase in temperatures to 1.5 degrees.
For the organization, despite the “lack of political ambition and cooperation” it is possible that “the progress of recent years” could help achieve the initially proposed objectives.
In this way, the IEA focuses on strategies that aim to triple the global production capacity of renewable energy by 2030; double the annual pace of growing improvements in energy efficiency, increase the sale of electric vehicles and promote measures to reduce methane gas emissions (from the energy sector) by 75%.
These strategies are based on technologies that already exist and that “have already demonstrated profitability” in the face of emissions cuts and that can guarantee the reduction of more than 80% of the necessary reductions by the end of the decade, indicates the IEA.
Global investments must multiply at the beginning of the next decade to maintain the pace of emissions reductions.
The document highlights that the “record growth” of solar energy production capacity and sales of electric cars “are in line (…) with the path towards emissions neutrality” that must be achieved between now and 2050.
Still, the agency insists that “more ambitious actions are needed” in the current decade.
The report concludes that, in this scenario, new long-term projects for the production of oil, natural gas, coal mines or coal-fired power plants “are not necessary.”
The IEA recognizes that investments must be maintained in some projects that already exist or have already been approved in the gas and oil sectors to ensure a balance between the increase in the production of renewable energies and the “decline in fossils” without generating supply problems or price tensions.
“The good news is that we know we have to do what we have to do,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol points out in the report, insisting “that strong international cooperation is crucial for success.”
The document warns that if the world is not able to expand the clean energy sector quickly enough by 2030, around 5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) will need to be removed from the atmosphere per year during the second half. of the 21st century to ensure that the increase in temperatures does not exceed 1.5 degrees.
The document highlights in particular that “almost all countries need to accelerate the pace of achieving carbon neutrality” and calls on “rich countries” to bring forward the targets to 2045 and the People’s Republic of China to 2050.
This acceleration, which would involve bringing forward the carbon neutrality goals set by five years in most developed countries – including the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Japan – and ten years in the People’s Republic of China, is necessary to be able to contain global warming compared to the pre-industrial era, adds the IEA.
Source: TSF
