PERSPECTIVES ON THE GLOBAL RENEWABLE ENERGY TRANSITION TAKEAWAYS from the REN21 Renewables 2019 Global Status Report 2019 REN21 MEMBERS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS INTER-GOVERNMENTAL NGOS Africa Minigrid Developers Association ORGANISATIONS Association Africaine pour (AMDA) Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre l'Electrification Rurale (Club-ER) Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) (APERC) CLASP American Council on Renewable Asian Development Bank (ADB) Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) Energy (ACORE) ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Climate Action Network International Associação Portuguesa de Energias Energy and Energy Efficiency (CAN-I) Renováveis (APREN) (ECREEE) Council on Energy, Environment Association for Renewable Energy of European Commission (EC) and Water (CEEW) Lusophone Countries (ALER) Global Environment Facility (GEF) Energy Cities Chinese Renewable Energy Industries International Energy Agency (IEA) Fundación Energías Renovables (FER) Association (CREIA) International Renewable Energy Global 100% Renewable Energy Clean Energy Council (CEC) Agency (IRENA) Global Forum on Sustainable European Renewable Energies Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Energy (GFSE) Federation (EREF) Regional Center for Renewable Global Women's Network for the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association Energy and Energy Efficiency Energy Transition (GWNET) (GOGLA) (RCREEE) Greenpeace International Global Solar Council (GSC) United Nations Development ICLEI – Local Governments for Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) Programme (UNDP) Sustainability, South Asia Indian Renewable Energy Federation United Nations Environment Institute for Sustainable Energy (IREF) Programme (UN Environment) Policies (ISEP) International Geothermal Association United Nations Industrial International Electrotechnical (IGA) Development Organization (UNIDO) Commission (IEC) International Hydropower Association World Bank (WB) Jeunes Volontaires pour (IHA) l'Environnement (JVE) Renewable Energy Solutions for the Mali Folkecenter (MFC) Mediterranean (RES4MED) Partnership for Sustainable Low World Bioenergy Association (WBA) Carbon Transport (SLoCaT) World Wind Energy Association Power for All (WWEA) Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) Renewable Energy Institute (REI) Solar Cookers International (SCI) World Council for Renewable SCIENCE AND ACADEMIA GOVERNMENTS Energy (WCRE) AEE - Institute for Sustainable Afghanistan World Future Council (WFC) Technologies (AEE INTEC) Brazil World Resources Institute (WRI) Fundación Bariloche (FB) Denmark World Wildlife Fund (WWF) International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) Germany International Solar Energy Society India (ISES) Mexico MEMBERS AT LARGE National Renewable Energy Norway Michael Eckhart Laboratory (NREL) South Africa Mohamed El-Ashry South African National Energy David Hales Development Institute (SANEDI) Spain Kirsty Hamilton The Energy and Resources United Arab Emirates Institute (TERI) United States of America Peter Rae CHAIR EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Arthouros Zervos Rana Adib National Technical University of REN21 Athens (NTUA) 2 COMMUNITY REN21 is an international policy network of experts from governments, inter-governmental organisations, industry associations, NGOs, and science and academia. It grows from year to year and represents an increasing diversity of sectors. REN21 provides a platform for this wide-ranging community to exchange information and ideas, to learn from each other and to collectively build the renewable energy future. This network enables the REN21 Secretariat to, among other activities, produce its annual flagship publication, the Renewables Global Status Report (GSR), making the report process a truly collaborative effort. REN21 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE GSR: INPUT FOR GSR 2019: Over On average, nearly Over 1,500 70% 60% 350 45% experts have of these experts of the community experts contributed of these were contributed to have participated consists of new to GSR 2019, new experts. the GSR since in more than experts each year. working alongside its start in 2005. one GSR. an international authoring team and the REN21 Secretariat. 3 RENEWABLE ENERGY POLICY NETWORK FOR THE 21st CENTURY BUILDING THE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FUTURE REN21 is an international policy network of passionate players dedicated to building a sustainable renewable energy future. This means… … having a clear vision: REN21 stands for a renewables-based energy system that includes all renewable energy technologies and serves all energy end-use sectors. … making the right decisions: REN21 provides high-quality, up-to-date information to shape the energy debate. … telling a compelling story: REN21 consolidates information about what is happening across the energy landscape to show that the global transition to renewables can happen. ... inspiring and mobilising people: REN21 builds on a worldwide community of players from governments, inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations, industry, science and academia. … moving beyond the familiar: REN21 makes renewable energy relevant to decision makers outside the energy world, by developing an understanding of relevant concerns in these sectors. Making the invisible visible. REN21 changes the way we think about renewable energy. SHAPE THE FUTURE 4 PERSPECTIVES 2019 KNOWLEDGE DEBATES RENEWABLES GLOBAL STATUS REPORT (GSR) First released in 2005, this report is the industry standard for the status of renewables for a given year. The GSR’s robust process for collecting data and REN21 RENEWABLES ACADEMY information makes it the most frequently A biennial event developed by, and referenced report on renewable energy for, the REN21 community, where market, industry and policy trends. members meet and discuss how to RENEWABLE IN CITIES – spur the renewable energy transition. GLOBAL STATUS REPORT (REC-GSR) The REN21 Academy’s structure The cities report is the first reflects REN21’s collaborative comprehensive resource to map and transparent culture. out the current trends and renewable energy developments in cities. It uses the same rigorous standards found in the Renewables Global Status Report series. RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY STATUS REPORT RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY STATUS REPORT 2018 2018 STATUS REPORT NETWORK AND RENEWABLE ENERGY AND EFFIENCY SADC COMMUNITY 978-3-9818911-4-0 2018 SACREEE REN21 Unit 1 Ausspann Plaza c/o UN Environment No.11 Dr. Agostinho Neto Street 1, rue Miollis Building VII Ausspannplatz 75015 Paris Windhoek France Namibia www.ren21.net www.sacreee.org REGIONAL REPORTS INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY These reports detail renewable CONFERENCE (IREC) energy developments in a A high-level political event where region, improving data and government, private sector and civil knowledge and, in turn, Renewable Energy society meet to build collective informing decision making Policies in a Time of Transition know-how to advance renewables and changing perceptions. at the international, national and sub-national levels. The IREC is hosted by a national government and is held biennially. Renewable Energy GLOBAL FUTURES REPORT (GFR) THEMATIC REPORTS This series captures the current thinking Each report covers, in about a sustainable energy future. detail, a specific topic Each report presents the collective and where a knowledge contemporary thinking of many experts. gap exists. 5 PERSPECTIVES ON THE GLOBAL RENEWABLE ENERGY TRANSITION This document presents the overarching renewable energy trends and perspectives from 2019 so that policy makers and other decision makers can more easily understand the significance of the latest developments. It outlines what is happening to drive the energy transition and details why it is not happening fast enough or as fast as possible. It draws on the meticulously documented data found in REN21’s Renewables 2019 Global Status Report. See the endnotes and methodological notes in the full report for further details, at www.ren21.net/gsr. 6 PERSPECTIVES 2019 Solar photovoltaics is the fastest-growing source of new renewable power. ICONS | GSR 2019 AKEAWAYS FROM THE REN21 T RENEWABLES 2019 GLOBAL STATUS REPORT The REN21 Renewables 2019 Global Status Report With a higher level of ambition backed by continuous provides strong evidence that renewable energy is now policy support, renewables can play a major role in a fully mainstream element in the global electricity mix. responding to both the climate emergency and the global Alongside energy efficiency, renewables are playing a development imperative, delivering affordable energy critical role in reducing emissions in the energy sector services and increasing energy security. The success of and in end-use sectors. In many locations, new renewable renewables in the power sector has shown clearly that an energy is now the lowest-cost way to provide electricity energy transition is possible. services and can be brought online the fastest. Around the world, renewable electricity has spread thanks to both transferable and reliable technologies and effective policy frameworks. Despite these significant advances, the deployment of renewable energy needs to be accelerated now, more Renewables than ever, if renewables are to play their full part in accounted for securing a sustainable future. More ambitious targets and comprehensive, predictable policies are necessary to further mainstream renewable electricity and, especially, to meet rising heating and cooling needs as well as energy 64 % demand in the rapidly growing transport sector. of new net electricity