ABU DHABI // The number of countries that have set renewable energy targets has grown four-fold in the past decade as costs have plummeted, experts at the International Renewable Energy Agency’s ninth council meeting said on Wednesday.
A report, Renewable Energy Target Setting, launched on the sidelines of the event, revealed that 164 countries had adopted at least one type of target, up from 43 countries in 2005.
The UAE has set its renewable energy targets at an even more local level, with each emirate defining specific goals.
These goals are now a defining feature of the global energy landscape.
“Renewable energy targets have emerged as a popular mechanism to set national and regional economies on the path towards a more secure and sustainable energy future,” said Adnan Amin, director general of Irena.
“They provide an important signal to the industry and can help to align stakeholders by creating a clearer common vision for the development of the energy sector.”
Developing and emerging economies are leading the adoption of targets, accounting for 131 of the 164 countries.
The majority of countries focus on the electricity sector – 150 have renewable electricity targets – but commitments in the transport sector and the heating and cooling sector are also on the rise.
During the meeting, two new members were voted on to the council: Upendra Tripathy, secretary to the Indian government, ministry of new and renewable energy, who became council chair, and Mike Allen, special envoy for renewable energy from New Zealand, who became vice chair.
“We accept this responsibility and ensure to make sincere efforts to develop the business viability case during the meeting,” Mr Tripathy said.
The number of countries setting targets for the heating and cooling sector increased from two in 2005 to 47 today. Similarly, renewable transport targets have more than doubled, from 27 in 2005 to 59.
“The rapid growth of targets is just one more signal of the world’s ongoing shift towards renewable energy and away from fossil fuels,” Mr Amin said.
However, the Irena report also said the current renewable energy targets were not sufficient.
More than 100 gigawatts of renewable capacity has been added annually for the past three years, with the bulk coming from developing countries, he said.
“We are likely to see this trend expand as ambitious plans take root on every continent, bolstered by a global focus on finding immediate solutions to the climate challenge.”
But for these moves to be seen as credible by society, they need to be accompanied by a clear strategy, Mr Amin said.
nalwasmi@thenational.ae
