Transformation is picking up speed in the power sector, but urgent action is required in heating, cooling, and transport.



This year’s Renewables 2018 Global Status Report GSR reveals two realities: one in which a revolution in the power sector is driving rapid change towards a renewable energy future, and another in which the overall transition is not advancing with the speed needed.



Please read the full report here. 

Renewable energy is increasingly powering the world, but erratic policy making is holding the sector back from its potential contribution to cutting carbon pollution and meeting climate and development targets, according to REN21’s Renewables 2019 Global Status Report (GSR).

Nearly 200 countries adopted the Kigali amendment to phase out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) during the 28th Meeting of the Parties (MOP) to the Montreal Protocol in Kigali, Rwanda last week. The amendment sets a timeline for the phasing out HFCs, used in air conditioning and refrigeration. HFCs are considered to be 1,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide in trapping heat within the atmosphere, accelerating global temperature rise.

South Africa is committed to reduce global climate change while stimulating sustainable development and green growth.   The cement industry of South Africa is assessing energy conservation technologies, including waste heat recovery and innovative technologies to utilise alternative resources and provide safe carbon capture with a low marginal GHG abatement cost.  

Adequate policy measures to support the refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) sector on its pathway towards green cooling is crucial for countries to comply with international climate standards: Over 30 representatives from Namibia as well as from the Green Cooling Africa Initiative partner countries gathered in Windhoek to discuss policy recommendations on the national and regional level.

REN21 published its Renewables 2017 Global Status Report (GSR), the most comprehensive annual overview of the state of renewable energy. 



Additions in installed renewable power capacity set new records in 2016, with 161 gigawatts (GW) installed, increasing total global capacity by almost 9% over 2015, to nearly 2,017 GW. Solar PV accounted for around 47% of the capacity added, followed by wind power at 34% and hydropower at 15.5%. 

The report draws on both, available best expertise as well as recent rapidly evolving experience and learning of managing heatwaves in Indian cities. Previous studies and work in urban areas across India suggests that there is no single institutional blueprint that is applicable everywhere which can be used to manage extreme heat. Strong local leadership invariably can make a significant difference. A national approach can support India in mitigating and adapting to changing temperatures and extreme heat by embedding actions in day-to-day life.

A new renewable power plant made up of 10 biomass boilers will heat homes and businesses in the second-largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, slashing emissions and air pollution while saving money.