COP28, IEA forge path to 1.5C degree-aligned energy transition
Achieving the 1.5-degree Celsius target requires all stakeholders, including the energy industry, to be actively involved in shaping a new energy system.
New Delhi: The COP28 UAE Presidency and the International Energy Agency (IEA) convened the first in a series of high-level dialogues in the run-up to COP28 around building a 1.5°C-aligned energy transition.
The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and will be supported by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The dialogues are intended to build consensus on 1.5°C-compatible energy transition pathways and the enabling conditions needed to achieve them, as well as momentum around the target energy outcomes for COP28.
The meetings are being co-chaired by COP28 president-designate Sultan Al Jaber and Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA. The aim is to engage public- and private-sector decision-makers in the energy industry to produce a holistic, global view of the energy system.
The dialogues will prepare the ground for specific commitments and calls-to-action at the World Climate Action Summit being held at COP28.
The session was held on 21 July on the sidelines of the 14th Clean Energy Ministerial, alongside the G20 Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting in Goa, India. Delegates at the meeting included various country delegates and private sector representatives.
Sultan Al Jaber, speaking on the significance of the initiative, highlighted COP28’s pivotal role as an opportunity for global collaboration and decisive action in realizing the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Stressing the importance of unified efforts, he emphasized that achieving the 1.5-degree Celsius target requires all stakeholders, including the energy industry, to be actively involved in shaping a new energy system.
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, lauded the IEA’s comprehensive energy package, which outlines critical strategies such as tripling global renewables capacity, doubling energy efficiency progress, reducing emissions from the oil and gas sector, augmenting clean energy finance for developing economies, redirecting fossil fuel investments to cleaner alternatives, and substantially curbing fossil fuel demand.
In parallel, Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA, underscored the urgency of a renewables-based energy transition and the necessity to triple annual renewable energy additions to effectively curb global warming within the 1.5-degree Celsius limit. To achieve this, he emphasized the need to overcome systemic barriers in infrastructure, policy, and institutional frameworks.
The IEA and IRENA will provide data and technical analysis to set the stage for informed discussions, inviting others as appropriate. This will include the current state of the global energy landscape, and potential pathways, solutions and actions required to accelerate the transition in a just and equitable manner.
Simon Steill, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, expressed hope that these high-level dialogues would serve as a driving force to propel momentum towards a just and inclusive 1.5-degree Celsius-aligned energy transition. He urged all stakeholders to take decisive action and contribute to building a sustainable and climate-resilient future as envisioned in the Paris Agreement.
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First Published:22 Jul 2023, 05:03 PM IST
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