KEY MESSAGES FOR DECISION MAKERS 2021 Takeaways from the RENEWABLES 2021 GLOBAL STATUS REPORT RENEWABLES 2021 GLOBAL STATUS REPORT 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) Coalition de Ciudades Capitales Association for Renewable Energy of European Commission (EC) de las Americas (CC35) Lusophone Countries (ALER) Global Environment Facility (GEF) Energy Cities Chinese Renewable Energy Industries International Energy Agency (IEA) Euroheat & Power (EHP) Association (CREIA) Fundación Energías Renovables (FER) Clean Energy Council (CEC) International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Global 100% Renewable Energy European Renewable Energies Federation (EREF) Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Global Forum on Sustainable Energy (GFSE) Global Off-Grid Lighting Association Regional Center for Renewable (GOGLA) Energy and Energy Efficiency Global Women's Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET) Global Solar Council (GSC) (RCREEE) Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) United Nations Development Greenpeace International Indian Renewable Energy Federation Programme (UNDP) ICLEI – Local Governments for (IREF) United Nations Environment Sustainability International Geothermal Association Programme (UNEP) Institute for Sustainable Energy (IGA) United Nations Industrial Development Policies (ISEP) International Hydropower Association Organization (UNIDO) International Electrotechnical (IHA) World Bank (WB) Commission (IEC) Renewable Energy Solutions for Africa Jeunes Volontaires pour (RES4Africa) Foundation l'Environnement (JVE) Solar Power Europe Mali Folkecenter (MFC) World Bioenergy Association (WBA) Power for All World Wind Energy Association Renewable Energy and Energy (WWEA) Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) Renewable Energy Institute (REI) Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI) SCIENCE AND ACADEMIA GOVERNMENTS SLOCAT Partnership for Sustainable AEE – Institute for Sustainable Afghanistan Low Carbon Transport Technologies (AEE INTEC) Austria Solar Cookers International (SCI) Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Council on Energy, Environment and Brazil Water (CEEW) World Council for Renewable Denmark Fundación Bariloche (FB) Energy (WCRE) Dominican Republic International Institute for Applied World Future Council (WFC) Germany Systems Analysis (IIASA) World Resources Institute (WRI) India International Solar Energy Society (ISES) World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Mexico National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Norway National Research University Higher Republic of Korea MEMBERS AT LARGE School of Economics, Russia (HSE) South Africa Michael Eckhart South African National Energy Spain Mohamed El-Ashry Development Institute (SANEDI) United Arab Emirates David Hales The Energy and Resources United States of America Institute (TERI) Kirsty Hamilton Peter Rae PRESIDENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Arthouros Zervos Rana Adib National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) REN21 2 RENEWABLE ENERGY POLICY NETWORK FOR THE 21st CENTURY REN21 is the only global renewable energy community of actors from science, governments, NGOs and industry. We provide up-to-date and peer-reviewed facts, figures and analysis of global developments in technology, policies and markets. Our goal: enable decision-makers to make the shift to renewable energy happen – now. The most successful organisms, such as an octopus, have a decentralised intelligence and "sensing" function. This increases responsiveness to a changing environment. REN21 incarnates this approach. Our more than 2,000 community members guide our co-operative work. They reflect the vast array of backgrounds and perspectives in society. As REN21’s eyes and ears, they collect information and share intelligence, by sending input and feedback. REN21 takes all this information to better understand the current thinking around renewables and change norms. We also use this information to connect and grow the energy debate with non-energy players. Our annual publications, the Renewables Global Status Report and the Renewables in Cities Global Status Report, are probably the world’s most comprehensive crowdsourced reports on renewables. It is a truly collaborative process of co-authoring, data collection and peer reviewing. 3 KEY MESSAGES FOR DECISION MAKERS TABLE OF CONTENTS Making Renewable Energy a Key Performance Indicator . 05 Renewable Energy Shares and Policies . 14 Technologies for a Renewables Revolution . 23 This document presents the overarching renewable energy trends and perspectives from 2021 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 2021 Global Status Report. See the endnotes and methodological notes in the full report for further details, at www.ren21.net/gsr. 4 MAKING RENEWABLE ENERGY A KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 2020 – a year of new norms Rising ambition and The year 2020 was one of new norms. recovery packages As the world witnessed the tragic are an opportunity impacts of a pandemic, communities to channel needed funding also experienced the health and well- to renewable energy being benefits stemming from the and further accelerate sudden decline in the use of fossil fuels, the transition . such as higher air quality and bluer skies. People also understood, collectively, the importance of governments mobilising quickly in the face of a crisis – in response As a result, 2020 was also a year of Renewable energy is central to the not only to the immediate public health accelerating ambition. The total number solution, both to continue to fight climate challenge and the economic recession of national targets for achieving net zero change at scale and to overcome the that followed, but also to longer-term emissions (including targets already post-pandemic economic recession. crises related to air pollution, climate in law, proposed and drafted) covered Growing commitments towards net change and biodiversity loss. countries responsible for more than 80% zero emissions highlight a rising tide of of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. awareness of the urgent action needed The public consensus increasingly to address climate change and air reflects the emerging vision to move pollution and to accelerate sustainable beyond fossil fuels, which are responsible development. Rising ambition and for nearly 90% of CO2 emissions. Under economic recovery packages also pressure from citizens, civil society and provide an opportunity to channel the courts, countries are being forced to needed funding to renewable energy strengthen their own climate plans, while and further accelerate the transition. fossil fuel companies are losing legal and shareholder battles. At the same time, businesses are buying ever larger amounts of renewable energy. 5 RENEWABLES 2021 GLOBAL STATUS REPORT However, a heightened profile does At the same time, the world is burning not automatically translate into more fossil fuels than ever. Since action and implementation. Obstacles 2009, the share of fossil fuels in final Persistent that have prevented the growth energy consumption has remained the Challenges for of renewable energy in past years same, and global energy demand has continued during 2020. They include expanded around 20%. Renewable Renewables the lack of integrated, cross-sectoral energy meets just over 11% of global final strategies to drive the transition; the energy demand – only a slight increase lack of sufficient policy support and from around 9% a decade ago. enforcement; persistent support for . fossil fuels; the need for infrastructure development and increased affordability in some markets; and the need for more innovation in some sectors. Together, they have led to only a slow increase in the share of renewable energy in final energy demand. Renewable energy meets just over 11% of global final energy demand – only a slight increase from around 9% a decade ago . Estimated Renewable Share of Total Final Energy Consumption 2009 and 2019 Exajoules (EJ) 400 11.2% Modern renewables 8.7 % Others 300 8.7% 11.0% Others 200 The share of 80.3% 80.2% fossil fuels in final energy demand Fossil fuels Fossil fuels barely changed over 100 one decade. 0 2009 2019 Modern Note: Totals may not add up due to rounding . This figure shows a comparison between two years across a 10-year span . The result of therenewables economic recession in 2008 may have temporarily lowered the share of fossil fuels in total final energy consumption in 2009 . The share in 2008 was 80 .7% . Source: Based on IEA data . 2019 11.2% 6 4.2% 3.6% 2.4% 1.0% Biofuels for Biomass/solar/ Hydropower Wind/solar/ transport geothermal heat biomass/ geothermal/ ocean power Exajoules (EJ) 400 11.2% Modern renewables 8.7 % Others 300 8.7% 11.0% Others 200 The share of 80.3% 80.2% fossil fuels in final energy demand Fossil fuels Fossil fuels barely changed over 100 one decade. 0 2009 2019 Biofuels for transport Wind/solar/biomass/