The International Energy Agency predicts that renewables will surpass coal as the world's largest electricity source by early 2025, with solar PV and wind accounting for 95% of the expansion. The agency's Renewables 2023 report highlights the rapid growth of global renewable power capacity and emphasizes the need for accelerated financing and deployment in emerging and developing economies to meet the COP28 goal of tripling capacity by 2030. The report also outlines key insights, including significant cost reductions in solar PV, substantial growth in China's solar PV and wind power, and expected doubling of solar PV and onshore wind projects in the U.S., EU, India, and Brazil by 2028.
At the COP28 conference, over 130 national governments, along with the European Union, have committed to collaborating in order to triple the world's installed renewable energy capacity to at least 11,000 GW by 2030. This agreement marks a significant step towards achieving global climate goals and combating climate change, as outlined in the Renewables 2023 report by the IEA, which provides insights into the deployment of renewable energy technologies and the challenges and barriers to their growth.
The year 2023 has been confirmed as the hottest on record, with temperatures about 1.48C warmer than the long-term average before human-caused climate change. Almost every day since July saw a new global air temperature high, and sea surface temperatures also broke previous records. The warmth has exacerbated extreme weather events worldwide, including heatwaves, wildfires, and flooding. The possibility of 2024 being even warmer raises concerns about breaching the 1.5C warming threshold set in the Paris Agreement, highlighting the urgent need to address the main cause of rising temperatures - fossil fuels.
India is facing extreme heat waves that are pushing temperatures to the brink of survivability, with the demand for air conditioning (AC) expected to rise significantly, contributing to the climate crisis. Despite the urgent need for cooling to protect health and productivity, the increase in AC usage, which relies on harmful coolants and fossil-fuel-generated electricity, exacerbates global warming. India, while not a major contributor to global emissions, is challenged to balance economic growth with environmental protection. The country is exploring sustainable cooling strategies and renewable energy, but has not yet joined the Global Cooling Pledge to cut emissions from cooling systems.
The United Arab Emirates has confirmed the mass trial of 84 inmates, including a prominent activist, during the COP28 climate talks. The state-run news agency reported that the defendants are charged with forming a secret organization to commit acts of violence and terrorism. Most detainees are said to be members of the Muslim Brotherhood. The trial, which has been under preparation for six months, is ongoing, and all accused have legal representation. Human rights groups have highlighted the case, particularly that of Ahmed Mansoor, a 2015 human rights award recipient, and Nasser bin Ghaith, an academic detained since 2015. The UAE's strict laws on expression and political organization were also noted during the COP28, where protests were limited.
U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry expresses concern over greed and its impact on the COP28 agreement in Dubai, while also discussing the latest developments in the Middle East.
Following the COP28 promise to phase out fossil fuels, there is speculation on whether President Biden will pause massive new fossil fuel developments.
Greta Thunberg criticized the COP28 climate deal, calling it vague and full of loopholes that won't solve the climate crisis. She displayed a Palestinian flag and held a "Free Palestine" sign during her weekly protest in Stockholm, linking the Palestinian cause with climate change. Thunberg emphasized the need for immediate emission cuts and binding commitments from major contributors to finance adaptation and a just transition. Her actions have drawn criticism in Israel, where she has been accused of disregarding the lives lost in the Hamas massacre and supporting anti-Israel sentiments.
COP28 marked a historic achievement as nearly every country acknowledged the role of oil and gas in driving global warming and the need for a fossil fuel drawdown. However, the resolution's language was mealy-mouthed, only calling on nations to contribute to transitioning away from fossil fuels in the energy sector. While a transition is already underway, it is not fast or global enough to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Global Carbon Project warns that emissions must be entirely eliminated by 2040 to achieve this goal, but few believe it is still plausible.
At the global climate summit, attendees recognized the threat of climate change to ecosystems and committed to halting deforestation and land degradation by 2030. They also aligned the climate declaration with a separate agreement to protect biodiversity, including goals to safeguard 30% of the world's land and seas. Nature can be harnessed to combat climate change, with forests storing carbon, coral reefs protecting coasts, and grasslands safeguarding water sources. However, there is still much to learn about various ecosystems, as the majority of ocean species remain unclassified and the oceans remain largely unmapped.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg criticizes the COP28 climate deal reached at the recent summit in Dubai, stating that it is a betrayal to the nations most affected by global warming and will not prevent temperatures from rising beyond critical levels. Thunberg argues that the agreement lacks teeth and fails to keep global warming within the 1.5-degree Celsius limit. She believes that the deal serves as an alibi for world leaders to ignore the climate crisis and calls for treating it as a true crisis, free from the influence of lobby interests.
Representatives from nearly 200 countries at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP28, have agreed to "phase out" fossil fuel production and use by 2050, marking a significant step towards addressing the climate crisis. While the agreement is non-binding and allows for interpretation by each nation, it establishes a goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions and outlines a path to get there. Former US Secretary of State John Kerry, who represented the US in the negotiations, expressed optimism about the agreement, highlighting the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for public pressure and policy incentives to ensure its implementation.
The 28th conference of the parties under the UN framework convention on climate change, known as COP28, achieved a historic breakthrough by calling on countries to "transition away" from fossil fuels and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. This marked a significant shift as Saudi Arabia, a long-time blocker of fossil fuel inclusion in climate agreements, agreed to the commitment. However, the deal faced criticism from indigenous groups and climate justice organizations for being unfair and inadequate in addressing the urgency of the climate crisis. The agreement also lacked specific targets and dates for emissions cuts and relied heavily on carbon capture and gas as transition measures. Despite its imperfections, the deal signals a clear message to investors that the future lies in renewable energy and that fossil fuels are becoming stranded assets.
Experts from the Brookings Institution assess the outcomes of COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai. While the conference saw some progress, such as the launch of a loss and damage fund and a commitment to transition away from fossil fuels, there were also shortcomings. The loss and damage fund remains underfunded, with only $429 million contributed, far below the estimated damages of $400 billion annually. Climate finance for adaptation in Africa is insufficient, and the region's needs may be underestimated by as much as 100%. The environmental impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and the need for data transparency in measuring emissions, water, and energy were highlighted. The COP28 agreement is non-binding, and the success of the conference will depend on how it influences national and private sector climate policies. Methane emissions also took center stage at COP28, with increased attention on reducing its impact on global warming.
Experts suggest that the U.S. can slash emissions and meet its climate goals by focusing on decarbonizing its top-polluting economic sectors: electric power, transportation, industry, buildings, and agriculture. To achieve this, the electric power sector needs to transition to clean technologies, such as wind and solar, and improve transmission capacity. In the transportation sector, reducing gas-powered vehicles and promoting electric vehicles (EVs) is crucial, along with building charging infrastructure. The industry sector can reduce emissions through a circular economy approach, including increasing recyclability and remanufacturing. In the buildings sector, optimizing insulation and improving energy efficiency are key. Agriculture can reduce emissions by storing more carbon in the soil and implementing practices like cover cropping. These changes would not only help meet emissions reduction targets but also have positive impacts on public health and cost savings.
