Written by: Gregers Reimann
Last week, a remarkable declaration was made by the “Global 100% RE Strategy Group” consisting of the World's leading researchers on energy transformation. Through a combination of pushing for energy efficiency and renewable energy, the declaration urges World leaders to transition fully away from fossil fuels over the next 10-15 years. They argue that this transition not only is possible, but that there is a good business case to be made, too. Equally important, it is our best chance to avoid triggering irreversible catastrophic climate change, as the current Paris [Climate] Agreement is not ambitious enough. In Asia, energy efficiency accounts for about half the transition away from fossil fuels. The remaining energy demand is covered mostly by solar and wind power. When applying the true cost of fossil fuels, the payback time is typically 1-2 years.
A world based on 100% renewable energy is possible, and we are able to transform the energy system fast enough to avoid the climate catastrophe!
The signatories of the 9th February 2021 declaration for 100% transition to renewable energy are:
Prof. Andrew Blakers, Australian National University, Australia
Prof. Christian Breyer, LUT University, Finland
Hans-Josef Fell, Energy Watch Group, Germany
Prof. Mark Z. Jacobson, Stanford University, USA
Prof. Brian Vad Mathiesen, Aalborg University, Denmark
Tony Seba, RethinkX, USA
Prof. Eicke R. Weber, ESMC, CBC, UC Berkeley, Univ. Freiburg em., Germany
The “Global 100% RE Strategy Group” also released this 1-hour explanatory video on this date; video link:
Key excerpts from declaration of global transition to 100% renewable energy by 2035:
“A global energy system powered by 100% clean renewable energy is not just possible over the next 10-15 years, it can also save money, create jobs and wealth, save lives, and get humanity ahead of the curve to prevent runaway climate change”
“With low-cost renewable energy based electricity in place in 2030 a parallel rapid transition and re-design of the national energy systems will be feasible, using a smart energy system approach combining electricity with energy efficient buildings, district heating, electrified transport and industry, as well as energy storage. We provide a deep understanding of the technical solution; decision makers now need to re-design the energy markets for the re-designed energy systems.”
“We have lost too much time in our efforts to address global warming and the 7 million air pollution deaths that occur each year, by not focusing enough on useful solutions. Fortunately, low-cost 100% clean, renewable energy solutions do exist to solve these problems, as found by over a dozen independent research groups. The solutions will not only save consumers money, but also create jobs and provide energy and more international security, while substantially reducing air pollution and climate damage from energy. Policymakers around the world are strongly urged to ensure we implement these solutions over the next 10-15 years."
Resources:
“Global 100% RE Strategy Group”: https://global100restrategygroup.org/
The Solutions Project: https://thesolutionsproject.org/
FuturArc, “Energy” issue (Q1 2021): https://www.futurarc.com/; IEN has authored the feature article