<
https://www.npr.org/2023/09/26/1201781387/climate-change-emissions-report-offers-hope>
'Here's something you don't hear much when it comes to climate change: hope.
Countries are setting records in deploying climate-friendly technologies, such
as solar power and electric vehicles, according to a new International Energy
Agency report. The agency, which represents countries that make up more than
80% of global energy consumption, projects demand for coal, oil and natural gas
will peak before 2030.
While greenhouse gas emissions keep rising, the IEA finds that there's still a
path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and limit global warming to 1.5
degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. That's what's needed to avoid the
the worst effects of climate change, such as catastrophic flooding and deadly
heatwaves.
"The pathway to 1.5 [degrees] C has narrowed in the past two years, but clean
energy technologies are keeping it open," said Fatih Birol, IEA executive
director, in a statement. "The good news is we know what we need to do – and
how to do it."
That overall message is more optimistic than the one issued in 2021, when the
IEA released its first
Net Zero Roadmap.
In addition to optimism, the 2023 version shows that the transition from fossil
fuels to cleaner forms of energy will have to speed up even more in the coming
decade. For example, the world is on track to spend $1.8 trillion on clean
energy this year. To meet the target outlined in the 2015 Paris climate
agreement among the world's nations, the IEA finds annual spending would have
to more than double to $4.5 trillion by the early 2030s.
As renewable energy costs continue to decline, the IEA says tripling
installations of new renewable energy, mostly solar and wind power, will be the
biggest driver of emissions reductions. But the agency warns countries will
have to speed up permitting and improve their electricity grids for that power
to get to where it's needed.'
Via
Future Crunch:
https://futurecrunch.com/226-eighth-continent/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
