IRENA to Present Innovation Pathway to Renewable Energy Growth at G20

Agency to present grid integration solutions that can support the rapid scale up of variable renewable energy in G20 power systems

The G20 group of countries, whose members represent nearly 80 per cent of global energy consumption and hold 75 per cent of global renewables deployment potential by 2030, are well positioned to lead the global energy transformation.

The group has shown a growing commitment to collaborate on climate and energy issues, and to address challenges regarding energy security and productivity, environmental protection, and economic growth underpinned by the transition to renewables.

To further support and accelerate the shift, IRENA’s Director-General Francesco La Camera will present G20 ministers with a series of innovation-led solutions to integrate higher shares of renewable energy into power systems. During its ‘Ministerial Meeting on Energy Transitions and Global Environment for Sustainable Growth’ in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan on June 15-16 IRENA will build on its well established position as an important contributor to the G20 decarbonisation discussion, by further championing the growing environmental and economic cases for the widespread adoption of renewable energy, a sector which now employs over 11 million people globally.

In a keynote address to the meeting’s discussion on ‘Energy Innovation and Cross-Cutting Issues – Energy Innovation / Energy Security / Energy Access and Affordability’, IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera will highlight that the case for renewable energy has never been stronger. IRENA’s new cost data shows that by next year, onshore wind and solar PV will be a less expensive source of new electricity than the cheapest fossil fuel alternative.

The Director-General will outline to G20 ministers that renewables, together with energy efficiency, can deliver 90 per cent of energy related emissions reductions needed to keep global temperature increases well below 2° Celsius in line with the Paris Climate Agreement goals. To do so, electricity must become the dominate energy carrier Mr. La Camera will stress, highlighting that electricity must supply half of total final energy by 2050. Renewable electricity accounting for 86 per cent of that.

IRENA's Solutions to Integrate High Shares of Variable Renewable Energy report, published and presented at the request of this year’s G20 president, highlights key action areas to scale up variable renewable energy power generation in G20 countries. Three key areas include the need for:

• Enabling frameworks for long-term energy system planning, holistic policy-making, and co-ordinated approaches across sectors and countries.
• Fostering systemic innovation, both in technologies, and market design, operational practices and business models.
• Unlocking investments and strengthening partnerships with the private sector.

Increasing cooperation

In cooperation with the previous G20 presidencies of Turkey, China, Germany and Argentina during the last four years, IRENA has provided targeted analysis and recommendations for the group’s energy discussions. At the first G20 Energy Ministers Meeting in October 2015, ministers adopted the G20 Toolkit of Voluntary Options for Renewable Energy Deployment, which presented a set of voluntary options for G20 countries to accelerate the scale-up of renewable energy. IRENA was a central coordinator of the Toolkit’s implementation, in co-operation with other international organisations.

In June 2016, progress on work completed under the toolkit was reviewed with the aim to mobilise more finance, reduce costs and chart renewable potential.

In the context of Argentina’s G20 Presidency last year, IRENA was asked to elaborate opportunities for the accelerated deployment of renewables, using a systemic and holistic approach, and to present relevant lessons learnt from implementing policy and investment frameworks. Building on this work, IRENA developed an overview of Opportunities to Accelerate Energy Transitions through Enhanced Deployment of Renewables.