Global targets for clean renewables and energy efficiency must stand alongside fossil fuel phase out

Summary
CAN underscores the following positions in the energy sector to keep the world on a pathway for a 1.5 degrees Celsius (oC) survival target. The energy sector and its fossil fuel use is the key sector worldwide to provide the largest and most cost-effective GHG emissions and pollution reduction potentials. CAN demands that the world and countries individually:

• Agree on a fair, fast, full, and funded phase out of fossil fuels in all sectors and replace those with clean solutions of 100% renewables for energy and industrial processes in a just and equitable way by 2050 latest while historically and presently large and rich polluters have to move earlier; Rapidly scale up the electricity sector to supplying around
  three quarters of all energy by mid-century for replacing fossil fuels in sectors dominated by them, like transport, heating, industrial processes,
• Immediately start to employ at least 1.5 Terawatt (TW or 1,500 Gigawatt) renewable power annually that will lead to more than triple renewable electricity capacity by 2030 latest and beyond;
• Provide enough renewable energy services for all and overcome dire energy poverty in the Global South in line with the agreed Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
• Focus primarily on all forms of wind, solar and geothermal for the renewable energy scaling;
• Support a substantial improvement in energy savings and energy conservation by both decreasing energy intensity and reducing wasteful energy demand, in an equitable way, including strong and binding energy efficiency legislation in all countries in next years whilst ensuring safe, clean, reliable and affordable access to energy services for all and
  tackling energy overconsumption by the rich, with the aim of reducing total final energy demand by at least a quarter by 2050 compared to today;
• Rapidly expand clean infrastructure as needed and as appropriate with the 1.5oC and deep decarbonisation/electrification objective such as for large, and small decentralised grid infrastructure, necessary storage of variable energy (mostly wind and solar) and training for the people engaged in this emerging sector of a just and clean energy transition we need worldwide;
  
• Mobilise the additional almost USD 3 trillion needed annually (about USD 4.5 trillion in total) and worldwide by 2030 and beyond for this global energy revolution from public and private investments including individuals;
• Of that, ensure up to USD 1 trillion annually is derived from rich and highly polluting (past and/or present) OECD nations for the clean energy development, capacity building, just transition efforts, technology transfers etc. by public grants-based funds for developing countries (excluding China who has strongly confirmed that it does not need the
  grants-based support from developed countries);
• Embark on social, fair, equitable, just and ecological guardrails for this rapid expansion of clean energy and infrastructure without undermining its necessary development for limiting, reducing and eventually avoiding risks for a huge climate disaster for people and ecosystems;
  

Finally, CAN is strongly reaffirming its opposition to nuclear power, carbon capture and storage (CCS), carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), and large expansion of solid biomass use including bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) as deeply unsustainable in the electricity/energy sector.

This position paper will deal primarily with the issues of the need for a strong renewable energy and energy efficiency target globally, while touching on the issues of fossil fuels phase out, financing for developing countries and guardrails will be subject to separate CAN position briefs
in next weeks/months.

––
Download file: http://CAN-Position-on-Global-targets-for-clean-renewables-and-energy-efficiency-must-stand-alongside-fossil-fuel-phase-out-.pdf