Renewable Energy for All: #COP26 Dialogues| Climate Action | United Nations

Summary

The 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

00:00

🎥 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.

05:02

🗣️ 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.

10:02

📊 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.

15:03

💼 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.

Keywords

💡Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations in 2015 to address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate change. In the video, the focus is on SDG 7, which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. The dialogue highlights how energy access is critical for achieving broader climate action goals.

💡Climate Action

Climate action refers to efforts to combat climate change and its impacts. It is a central theme in the video, emphasizing the need for urgent transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy to meet global climate targets. The video discusses the importance of integrating climate action with the SDGs, particularly in the context of the COP26 dialogues.

💡Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, and water, which are replenished naturally. The video discusses how the transition to renewable energy is essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving net-zero targets. The declining costs of renewables are presented as a key opportunity for driving this transition.

💡Energy Access

Energy access refers to the availability of affordable, reliable, and modern energy services to all people. The video highlights the global challenge of providing energy access, with 759 million people lacking electricity and 2.6 billion unable to cook cleanly. Addressing this gap is crucial for achieving SDG 7 and supporting the broader climate agenda.

💡Net Zero

Net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere and the amount removed. The video discusses the importance of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 to meet global climate goals. This requires significant investment in renewable energy and energy access, especially in developing countries.

💡Energy Transition

Energy transition is the process of shifting from fossil fuel-based energy systems to renewable energy sources. The video emphasizes the need for a just and equitable energy transition to meet climate goals and ensure that no one is left behind. The discussion also covers the role of policies, investments, and international cooperation in accelerating this transition.

💡Energy Compacts

Energy Compacts are voluntary commitments by governments, businesses, and other stakeholders to achieve specific energy-related goals. In the video, these compacts are discussed as a mechanism to ensure that the commitments made at COP26 translate into concrete actions on the ground, particularly in supporting renewable energy and energy access.

💡Just Transition

Just transition refers to the concept of ensuring that the shift to a low-carbon economy is fair and inclusive, providing opportunities for all, including vulnerable communities. The video discusses the importance of a just transition in creating jobs and supporting economic growth, particularly in the renewable energy sector. It also highlights the potential for empowering women through energy access.

💡COP26

COP26, the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, was held in Glasgow in 2021. It brought together world leaders, negotiators, and stakeholders to discuss and advance global climate action. The video is set against the backdrop of COP26 and explores its significance in driving progress towards SDG 7 and the broader climate agenda.

💡Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency refers to the goal of using less energy to perform the same tasks, thereby reducing energy waste and emissions. In the video, energy efficiency is highlighted as a critical component of climate action, alongside the transition to renewable energy. It is also mentioned in the context of equitable energy distribution, ensuring that energy resources are used effectively to support sustainable development.

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