The International Energy Agency (IEA) published, on Tuesday 26 September, an update to its 2021 report on achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 in the energy sector, ‘Net Zero Emissions by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector’, and looks back at the changes that have taken place over the last 2 years, particularly following the energy crisis triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The roadmap indicates that it is still possible to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming to 1.5°C, and highlights the efforts that have been made, including advances in technologies such as electric vehicles and heat pumps.
However, bolder measures are needed this decade, including tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030 (to 11,000 gigawatts), improving energy efficiency, further increasing sales of electric vehicles and heat pumps, and reducing methane emissions from the energy sector by 75%.
The report underlines the need for clear policies, such as the withdrawal of coal-fired power stations, to help reduce demand for fossil fuels and make way for clean energy.
It also stresses the need for greater investment in clean energy in developing countries, and highlights the challenges of securing essential minerals for clean energy technologies.
Finally, the report reiterates the urgent need to speed up efforts to reach the 1.5°C target and the importance of international cooperation in the fight against climate change.
To see the report: https://aeur.eu/f/8qy (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)