Renewable energy think tank REN21 lamented in its 2022 report that the global shift to RE has not materialized despite the promise of a worldwide green recovery in the wake of the pandemic.
It urged economies to step up their targets and plans for a RE transition as the world may not be able to meet critical climate goals this decade. Its report showed the overall share of renewables in the world’s final energy consumption stagnating, rising only minimally from 10.6 percent in 2009 to 11.7 percent in 2019.
In the electricity sector, record additions in RE capacity of 314.5 gigawatts, up 17 percent from 2020, and generation of 7,793 terawatt-hours were unable to meet the overall increase in consumption of six percent. In heating and cooling, the RE share in final energy consumption increased from 8.9 percent in 2009 to 11.2 percent a decade later.
The transport sector’s RE share went from 2.4 percent in 2009 to 3.7 percent in 2019, which was particularly worrying as it accounts for nearly a third of global energy consumption.
“Although more governments committed to net zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2021, the reality is that, in response to the energy crisis, most countries have gone back to seeking out new sources of fossil fuels and to burning even more coal, oil and natural gas,” REN 21 executive director Rana Adib said.
The good news for Asia is the region continues to lead in RE development. The Philippines was cited as among the countries introducing renewables in the agriculture sector, as the Department of Energy and Agriculture last year announced a new RE program for the agri-fishery sector, supporting the use of renewables to power agricultural and fishery operations.
The unfolding energy crisis that has been aggravated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the world’s continued dependence of fossil fuels and the importance of hastening the RE transition that so many nations have been putting aside, despite all the warnings and commitments, during this critical time in our history.
Despite experts and think tanks shouting from the rooftops that the RE path will come out cheaper for the world despite the upfront investment, the transition remains lacking in urgency. The human race has to do better in this regard.*
