EREF Press release
Fifth Anniversary of the Paris Agreement: EREF and Leading Renewable Players Urge Governments to Re-align Recovery Measures with Paris Agreement
Brussels, 7 th December 2020
With the Paris Agreement celebrating its fifth anniversary this week, all eyes are on the world’s governments to urgently scale-up climate action.
In a renewed call to action, over 100 leading renewable energy players, among them EREF, as members of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Coalition for Action, urge governments to correct course. By placing a renewables-based energy transition at the heart of an economic recovery from COVID-19, governments can foster economic resilience and secure a climate-safe future.
Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, governments have demonstrated their capacity to mobilise efforts and recovery packages at historically unprecedented levels. While some countries have announced more ambitious climate commitments as part of their measures to achieve sustainable and resilient economies post-COVID-19, many others have yet to take decisive actions to move towards a green recovery. And the EU still has to reach an agreement on a strong Greenhouse Gas reduction target for 2030.
To date, G20 countries have committed at least USD 233 billion in supporting the fossil fuel sector and fossil fuel-dependent industries. These billions represent a missed opportunity to accelerate the energy transition towards renewable energy and energy efficiency and to power long-term job creation and investment opportunities at a time when we need them most. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)’s post-COVID-19 recovery agenda shows that investments strategically targeted at renewables can put the world on a climate safe path and generate wider socio-economic benefits. Every million dollars (USD) invested in renewables would create three times more jobs than in fossil fuels. Such positive impact would also apply for the European Union.
“COVID-19 measure worldwide and also in EU Member States have shown that quick and determined action to fight an acute crisis is possible. And renewable energy projects have proven to be more resilient and providing more jobs, growth, and security of supply than other sources and technologies. Now is the time, for the EU and its Member States to show clear leadership by paving the way towards a green recovery. A Council agreement this week on an ambitious EU climate target for 2030 of at least minus 55% or more would be a much needed signal to speed up the transformation away from fossil fuels and thus enable sustainable growth, future proof jobs and policies to mitigate the climate crisis in line with the Paris Agreement”, says Rainer Hinrichs-Rahlwes, EREF-Vice-President and focal point for the IRENA Coalition for Action.
Building on its previous call to action released in April 2020, the Coalition for Action now urges governments to reset their recovery priorities through the following six actions:
1. Re-evaluate stimulus measures and correct course to ensure a green recovery in line with global climate objectives.
2. Raise policy ambitions and clarify long-term plans for renewable generation and consumption, both centralised and decentralised.
3. Ensure energy markets can deliver continuity and stimulate investment and growth in renewables.
4. Prioritise renewable energy as a key component of industrial policies.
5. Align labour and education policies with a just energy transition.
6. Intensify international co-operation and action on COVID-19 while recognising renewable energy as a key part of the solution.
Through these six actions, governments can align their economic recovery from COVID-19 with their climate plans, deliver on their commitments under the Paris Agreement, and come back stronger than ever from the COVID-19 crisis. Now is the time to use the momentum of a green recovery to continue building broad public support for the transformative decarbonisation of societies and pave the way for equitable, inclusive and resilient economies.
For a more detailed view of the IRENA Coalition for Action’s renewed Call to Action, please click here.
About the Coalition
The IRENA Coalition for Action brings together leading renewable energy players from around the world with the common goal of advancing the uptake of renewable energy. The Coalition facilitates global dialogues between public and private sectors to develop actions to increase the share of renewables in the global energy mix and accelerate the global energy transition. www.irena.org/coalition
About EREF:
EREF is the voice of Europe’s renewable energy sector and issues initiatives and solutions to the challenges arising from the transition to a fully decarbonised and 100% renewables’ system. In this role, EREF monitors and gives impetus to the public debate and policymaking process that leads the way to climate change mitigation through consequent deployment of renewable energy technologies, fostering a greener and more sustainable future for Europe and its citizens.
For more information on this matter, please contact
Dr. Dörte Fouquet Dirk Hendricks
Director Secretary General
doerte.fouquet@eref-europe.org dirk.hendricks@eref-europe.org