Renewable Energy for All: #COP26 Dialogues| Climate Action | United Nations
Summary
TLDRThe COP 26 Dialogues at the UN headquarters in New York focus on Sustainable Development Goal 7: access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. Experts highlight the urgent need to close the energy access gap and transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. They discuss the critical role of energy in achieving net zero emissions by 2050, the importance of financing, job creation through renewable energy, and the impact on economic growth and gender equality. The session emphasizes the need for actionable projects and robust policies to ensure a just and inclusive energy transition.
Takeaways
- 🌍 The COP26 dialogues focus on sustainable development goals (SDGs) and their connection to climate action.
- ⚡ Sustainable Development Goal 7 aims for access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
- 📊 759 million people lack access to electricity, and 2.6 billion people cannot cook cleanly and safely.
- 🔋 Emissions from the energy sector account for about 75% of total greenhouse gas emissions.
- 🚀 Promising signs indicate a shift towards a fossil fuel-free energy system, but progress is slow.
- 💡 Universal energy access is essential for achieving net-zero goals by 2050.
- 💰 Significant financial investment is needed to bridge the gap, with estimates around $33 trillion.
- 👩💼 Renewable energy presents substantial job creation opportunities, with 12 million jobs already in the sector.
- 🌱 A just transition to renewable energy can significantly boost economies and promote gender equality.
- 🤝 Collaboration and actionable commitments are crucial for the successful implementation of energy transition initiatives.
Q & A
What is the focus of the first dialogue in the COP26 session?
-The first dialogue focuses on Sustainable Development Goal 7, which is about providing access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
Why is the energy sector considered critical for climate action?
-The energy sector is critical because it is central to discussions on closing the energy access gap and transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy, which are essential for achieving climate goals.
What are the current challenges in global energy access?
-Current challenges include 759 million people living without access to electricity and 2.6 billion people unable to cook cleanly and safely.
What proportion of total greenhouse gas emissions comes from the energy sector?
-Emissions from the energy sector account for about 75% of total greenhouse gas emissions.
What is the importance of achieving universal energy access by 2030?
-Achieving universal energy access by 2030 is crucial for meeting net-zero goals by 2050. Without it, the climate crisis cannot be effectively addressed.
What financial commitment did the United Arab Emirates make at COP26 to support the energy transition?
-The United Arab Emirates committed to providing $400 million in funding towards the Energy Transition Accelerator Financing (ETAF) platform, with an ambition to mobilize a total of at least $1 billion.
What is the potential impact of renewable energy on job creation?
-Renewable energy has significant potential for job creation, with employment in the sector reaching 12 million worldwide. The number of jobs is expected to double by 2050, creating further economic opportunities.
How does access to sustainable energy impact women's economic empowerment?
-Providing sustainable energy to women, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, can increase their earnings by 59%, putting them on par with male counterparts and enabling them to employ others, thus creating indirect jobs.
What role do energy compacts play in the implementation of COP26 commitments?
-Energy compacts ensure that commitments made at COP26 are put into action by holding companies and countries accountable for their pledges and facilitating the implementation of energy projects on the ground.
What is the broader significance of energy access beyond addressing climate change?
-Energy access is crucial for overall development as it supports poverty reduction, education, gender equality, and industrial development. It is a cross-cutting issue that impacts all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Outlines
🎥 Introduction to COP26 Dialogues
Welcome to the COP26 dialogues from the SDG studio at UN headquarters in New York. Over the next two weeks, a series of conversations will explore the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their links to key areas of climate action and solutions being advanced at the UN Climate Conference in Glasgow. The first dialogue focuses on SDG 7: Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. This energy sector is critical for climate action, central to discussions in Glasgow. The dialogue highlights the urgent need to close the energy access gap and transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy inclusively and equitably. Currently, 759 million people lack access to electricity, and 2.6 billion cannot cook cleanly and safely. Energy emissions account for about 75% of total greenhouse gas emissions.
🗣️ Expert Opinions on Energy Transition
Introducing experts: Damilola Ogumbili, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, and Allah Wilfred Bia, Chief of the International Renewable Energy Agency's office in New York. They discuss the critical nature of the moment for achieving SDG 7. Damilola emphasizes the urgent need for universal energy access by 2030 to achieve net-zero goals by 2050. Highlighting the disparity in energy access, especially in healthcare, underscores the interconnectedness of energy and other development goals. Wilfred talks about the significance of announcements made at COP26, emphasizing the importance of actual implementation post-announcements, targeted policies, and increased ambition, especially from G20 countries. He also mentions the financial gap and the need for substantial investment in renewable energy.
📊 Post-COP26 Actions and Financial Commitments
Experts discuss the actions required post-COP26 to ensure ambitious announcements become reality. Damilola introduces the Energy Compacts initiative by UN Energy, aiming to convert commitments into actionable projects. The focus is on ensuring that projects are implemented on the ground, not just policy discussions. Wilfred highlights the need for increased investment in renewables, mentioning the launch of the Energy Transition Accelerator Financing Platform in collaboration with the UAE, aiming to mobilize significant funding for energy projects. Both emphasize the necessity of concrete actions and investments to meet climate and energy goals, working with various partners and stakeholders to ensure successful implementation.
💼 Job Creation and Economic Impact of Renewable Energy
Discussion on the economic impact and job creation potential of renewable energy. Wilfred highlights that renewable energy is not a threat to jobs but an opportunity to create more. With over 12 million people currently employed in the sector, there is potential for significant growth in renewable energy employment. He emphasizes that renewable energy can boost economies and should be seen as a positive force for job creation and economic development. Damilola points out the economic benefits of providing sustainable energy, particularly for women in Sub-Saharan Africa, where access to energy can significantly increase income and create additional employment opportunities. Both stress the importance of energy for economic growth and poverty reduction.
🌍 Final Thoughts on Energy Access and Climate Goals
Concluding remarks from the experts on the critical connection between energy access and climate goals. Damilola stresses that achieving universal energy access by 2030 is essential for reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. She highlights the significant financing needed for developing countries to transition to renewable energy and the global responsibility to secure this funding to avoid leaving people behind. Wilfred agrees, emphasizing that energy is a cross-cutting issue essential for achieving various SDGs, not just climate goals. He underscores the importance of reliable energy for poverty reduction, education, gender equality, and overall economic development. Both call for increased resources and investments in renewable energy to ensure a successful energy transition.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
💡Climate Action
💡Renewable Energy
💡Energy Access
💡Net Zero
💡Energy Transition
💡Energy Compacts
💡Just Transition
💡COP26
💡Energy Efficiency
Highlights
Welcome to the COP 26 dialogues from the SDG Studio at UN Headquarters in New York.
Over the next two weeks, a series of conversations will look at the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their link to climate action.
Today's focus is on Sustainable Development Goal 7: Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
The energy sector is critical for climate action and central to discussions at COP 26.
There is an urgent need to close the energy access gap and transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy inclusively and equitably.
759 million people still lack access to electricity, and 2.6 billion people cannot cook cleanly and safely.
Energy emissions account for about 75% of total greenhouse gas emissions.
Special Representative Damilola Ogunbiyi emphasizes the critical need for universal energy access by 2030 to achieve net zero goals.
Wilfred Bia from the International Renewable Energy Agency highlights the importance of the private sector stepping up and aligning financial assets with net zero goals.
The need for robust criteria on nature-based solutions to avoid rebound effects from renewable energy and biofuel systems is crucial.
Energy efficiency and equitable energy sharing are equally important as phasing out fossil fuels.
The launch of the Glasgow Operator Agenda at COP 26 is a significant step towards achieving climate goals.
Damilola Ogunbiyi stresses the importance of actionable energy compacts and commitments from countries and private sector companies.
IRENA's Energy Transition Accelerator Financing (ETAF) platform aims to mobilize at least $1 billion in total funding, with $400 million committed by the UAE.
Renewable energy employment worldwide reached 12 million last year, showing the job creation potential of the energy transition.
For every dollar invested in renewable energy, an additional 93 cents of GDP growth is expected, highlighting the economic benefits of the energy transition.
Women in Sub-Saharan Africa earning 59% more with access to sustainable energy for business shows the critical impact on gender equality and economic empowerment.
Damilola Ogunbiyi: Universal energy access by 2030 is essential for achieving net zero by 2050.
Wilfred Bia: Energy is a cross-cutting issue impacting all SDGs, from poverty reduction to education and gender equality.
Energy partnerships with organizations like UNICEF showcase the broad impact of energy access on education and gender equality.
The session concludes with a call to continue conversations and actions on energy access and climate goals.
Transcripts
[Music]
welcome to the cop 26 dialogues from the
sdg studio at un headquarters in new
york
over the next two weeks we will bring
you a series of conversations that look
at the sustainable development goals and
how they link to key areas of climate
action and solutions that are being
advanced at the un climate conference in
glasgow
our first dialogue today focuses on
sustainable development goals seven
access to affordable reliable
sustainable and modern energy for all
the energy sector is critical for
climate action and is at the center of
discussions at glasgow today
we know that we need to urgently close
the energy access gap
and deliver a transition from fossil
fuels to renewable energy that is truly
inclusive and equitable
and we have an enormous task ahead of us
latest estimates show that
759 million people continue to live
without access to electricity
and 2.6 billion people remain unable to
cook cleanly and safely
meanwhile emissions from energy account
for about 75 percent of total greenhouse
gas emissions
with me today are two experts who are
leading global efforts to accelerate
action on sustainable gold seven in
support of the 2030 agenda and the paris
agreement
joining us live from glasgow is damilolo
ogumbili
the special representative of the un
secretary general for sustainable energy
for all and here with me in the studio
is allah wilfred bia the chief of the
international renewable energy agency's
office here in new york welcome demi
lola and wilfried and thank you so much
for for joining us today but before we
turn to our guests let's take a look at
a conversation in glasgow today have a
listen
i am increasingly
seeing promising signs of recognizing
that we've crossed the tipping point
towards irreversible
transition towards a fossil fuel-free
energy system in the world but it's
going too slowly we have too many
countries and industries and financial
institutions in the world that are not
fully on board on the pace of change so
we still have a lot to do we're still on
an uphill path and remember that you
know it's not only about oil coal and
natural gas it's about putting robust
criteria on nature-based solutions so we
don't have rebound effects from
renewable energy from biofuel systems we
need to you know
recognize that energy efficiency and
equitable sharing of the energy space in
the world
is equally important as as phasing out
fossil fuels so it's a complex challenge
it's a big
promising signs but still a huge
challenge ahead of us as we have just
heard from euron rockstorm the director
of the potsdam institute for climate
impact research and we will now hear
from our experts in the studio how we
can tackle this challenge damiluna
you're joining us from glasgow from what
you've seen at cop26 so far what makes
this particular moment and this year so
critical for progress on sustainable
development gold seven to provide
affordable and clean energy for all
well this year we barely have eight and
a half year years left
i think that's one of the most critical
things and we both know that it's also
climate crisis
we cannot achieve our net zero goals if
we do not use universal access for all
by 2030 so i think there's been an extra
emphasis on how do we make sure
at least like you said
759 million people have access to
electricity
and 2.6 billion people have access in
cooking if we continue as business as
usual by 2030 we would still have 600
million people without access to
electricity and 2.3 billion people
without access to clean cooking once you
see those statistics and after going
then we realize that even though the
vaccine distribution is not equitable
they're still
only 25 of primary healthcare centers in
africa that actually have electricity to
even able to administer a vaccine a lot
of things are coming to a head and
people understand that energy access
family has to be part of the energy
transition story
thank you so much damilo and also for
pointing out how much really depends
also on access to energy and access to
clean and sustainable energy and wilfred
i'm sure you're following the
announcements at cop 26 very closely as
well so what are your thoughts on some
of the major announcements and why do
they matter so much
thank you very much first of all it's
very good to see that many more and more
countries are joining the
zero pledge it's also encouraging that
the private sector is stepping up
you know with the global financial
services firm agreeing
to align their financial financial
assets with the goals we are pretty sure
that you are going to
achieve greater results in the future
but as you know it's not enough to make
announcement the most important thing
afterwards will be
to make sure that implementations
good implementation follows
and reaching the net zero
emissions by 2050
requires a lot
increase ambition targeted policies uh
but also uh more actions for the
the emitting countries
especially those who are from the
from the g20 group
we welcome the glasgow operator agenda
announced
at the cup 26 and we believe that it's
also one of the best instruments we can
use in that in that way
at irena we are
clear we we don't shy away from the fact
that we cannot achieve the climate goals
without uh
giving importance the high priority to
renewables so there is no climate action
that can be
undertaken without a renewable energy
and the good news is that prices of
renewables are decreasing so there is a
window of opportunity that we can we can
seize
by the way
we all we already have a big gap
in terms of financing uh estimates now
that we need 33 trillion
in order to
to bridge the gap
and i irena has conducted many studies
and we know that for each dollar
invested
will yield benefits
of between two and five us dollars so
there is a lot we can do
in that way also we need to support
emerging technologies we all limit our
investment in oil and and
and cares we also need to invest in a
set of policies
and we know that if we work together in
in in in that area we will be able to to
achieve our goals
right thank you so much rufu you said
announcements alone are not enough so
let me ask both of you
and
what will you do
the day after cop 26 to make sure that
the ambitious announcements really
become reality
and how can the recently launched energy
compacts a new initiative by un energy
helped to encourage implementation
damilola please share your thoughts with
us
well you just took it we were going to
talk i was going to talk about energy
compacts we're launching an energy
compact network
that makes sure that these everything
that's been said here is put into action
and we're going back especially
companies who have said more things here
back to the energy compacts and say how
are you going to make sure this happens
on ground how are you going to follow
commitments from countries now saying i
want to get to net zero i want to get to
clean energy and private sector
companies and multi stakeholders saying
that i actually have energy access
targets so we need to use the power of
the un and our matchmaking skills to
bring people together so when we are
talking next year we're talking about
actual projects that have happened on
ground instead of talking about just
policies and commitments and agreements
but i do share the point in terms of
policy formulation as well there's still
some lacking in that but again i don't
think that is enough to stop projects
from going on as they are there are
enough countries now that have the right
policies and the regulations that want
to encourage renewables and we have to
make sure that we show projects that it
can work and we can focus on people and
planet at the same time
thanks so much damilola and and
what will your roadmap for action look
like coming out of glasgow
yes glasgow is already a good a good
opportunity for many actors to showcase
what they are doing and we believe that
some best practices
can help us in order to achieve our
goals in in the field because at the end
of the day we need to have
more actions in the field we need to
have more results in the field it's not
a matter of
of just talk
in glasgow but people we represent or
people
delegates new glasgow represents needs
to make sure that at the end of the day
there is something that is being made in
the field in order for
people on the ground to feel
the benefits of the decisions or the
negotiations that are taking place right
now
irena has
more than 10 compacts
coming out of the high level dialogue on
energy
and we are in the process of
accelerating the implementation
uh just yesterday irena announced uh
the launch of
a new
energy transition accelerator financing
platform itaf
in collaboration with the united arab
emirates
the
our goal is to mobilize at least one
billion in total funding
and
under it have the uae committed
to provide 400 million in funding toward
the the platform so
with this 400 million irena has ambition
to mobilize more
up to and who knows more than one
billion we we also we also keep
helping and supporting countries uh in
the implementation of the ambitious ndcs
to meet the paris agreement uh
target
we also want to
mention that uh in our implementation or
in the implementation of
not only the the the
not only the
the the
compacts but
the implementation of our strategic
goals we have a number of emotes with
many entities
being at a global level like the u.n or
being at the local level we work in
africa with regional communities for
instance we work with the african
development bank we want we work with
many actors to make sure that energy
transition is a reality in the field so
we
we we pledge to
to keep the momentum
thank you so much a lot of work ahead of
you for for ahead of us for both of you
um
decent and healthy jobs sustainable
development goal eight is another key
area of work for both of you
wilfred your organization released a new
report on this topic together with the
international labor organization that is
showcasing a positive trend
renewable energy employment worldwide
reached 12 million last year can you
tell us more about the opportunities for
job creation through the energy
transition
it's good that you mentioned the figure
of 12 million
let me say the outset that
a renewable energy should not be seen as
a threat to jobs actually it's an
opportunity to create more jobs so
renewable energy is not about
threatening the stability of economies
actually is
made to boost economies as you rightly
mentioned more than 12 million people
are employed in the sector today let me
give you uh
other figures
you know we have 12 million today but
it's a steady increase
since 12 2012
at 7.3 million
and we know that uh
arena for instance
believes that by 2015
we are going to double
the the number of jobs you are going to
double to 122 million
so we believe that there are many
opportunities we as i said earlier uh
we have the technology
we prices are going down
and the irena is
firmly believes arena family believes
that under uh
our coalition for action more than 100
130 renewable energy leaders
will be able to
move
countries and government in the right
direction
our arena coalition for energy
comprises
more than 100 leaders from government
from the private sector and so on and
one of our key points is that we should
make sure that in the field we have more
jobs in the area of renewables but also
in the in the global economy in general
because
when you sell renewables to a political
leader
he wants to see how this is going to
affect positively its economy it's not
only about
energies not only about climate change
but it's about the economy of the
country in general so there is maybe a
need also to change narrative so
political leaders can see in us
creators of job or
those who provide
more opportunities for the economies
it's not only about climate change as i
said is about the well-being of
populations in the field
thanks so much for huge potential there
and damilola allow me to to dive a bit
deeper here for every u.s dollar
invested in the transition towards
renewable energy an additional 93 cents
of gdp growth is expected
how important is the just transition for
the economy and what is its potential
impact on jobs in particular on the
employment and empowerment of women
well it's critical
economic growth in any country is
sometimes measured with the amount of
energy they have so you're not going to
get people out of poverty if you don't
provide them energy
but you know i follow on from what was
being said for every thousand household
connected to decentralized energy
there's typically about 25 jobs and in
the case of gender we've seen um cases
that if you provide a woman especially
in sub-saharan africa with sustainable
energy just for business and nothing
else she's likely to earn 59 percent
more than what she was earning before
this is critical because it puts on on
par with her male counterpart but it
also allows her to possibly employ
another person and those are the
indirect jobs that we sometimes don't
capture for by having sustainable energy
it's not just about basic levels of
energy household lighting it's about
energy for development industry and real
true ultra um entrepreneurs need these
jobs to actually survive so there's a
lot
the fastest way um to get countries to
the economic growth status that they
really want to be in
thanks so much
damilola and before we come to the end
of our sessions i would like to ask both
of you both of you what would you like
to leave our listeners with today maybe
demi lola we go first again to you
firstly i'd like to explain to people
the direct connection between energy and
fresh energy access and climate
if we do not achieve universal access by
2030 we cannot achieve net zero by 2050.
the last point i'd like to speak to
everyone about or leave them with is the
amount of financing that is still needed
for developing countries to transition
and it's important as a global audience
that we find that money so we do not
leave a billion people behind in this
climate and energy transition
thank you and wilfried what would you
like to leave our listeners with i would
like to agree with just
let me know with what john damila just
said actually we need more resources
that's clear and
we may have ambitions we may have
good policies we may have
whatever we want but if we don't have
enough investment in renewables we won't
be able to achieve the net zero goal and
we should also keep in mind that energy
as i said is not only about energy per
se or about climate change but you see
energy has a cross-cutting issue because
there is no way you can achieve
gallstone poverty or education or
education or gender
or
even
employment in industrial development if
you don't have
a
reliable energy available to economies
so it's not only
that we we want to achieve goals but we
want to help country in order to for
them to achieve all the sdgs through
energy
i just want to take one example when
when we
we
decided to partner with unicef it was
not obvious for some
why are you going to pat how are why
irena wants to partner with unicef but
when you look closely at what you are we
are doing you are going to see that
it has a critical impact on girls in the
field it has a critical impact also on
the education so these are a number of
aspects that we should look at when we
talk about energy transition
thank you so much thank you so much
wilfried thank you so much damilola
such an informative and spirited session
today
we have come to the end of our first cop
26 dialogue on energy day stay tuned for
more conversations over the next few
days and thank you so much for joining
us
[Music]
you
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