Keeping 1.5 alive? IEA lists ‘crucial ingredients’ to keep worst effects of climate change at bay

Energy
Thursday, November 9th, 2023 6:57 pm EDT

Key Points

  • COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai: The article highlights the upcoming COP28 climate change summit, set to take place in Dubai, with participation from world leaders and prominent figures, including Pope Francis and King Charles III. The summit’s primary objective is to evaluate global efforts to achieve the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement, particularly the aim of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, with an even more ambitious target of 1.5 degrees Celsius to avert severe climate consequences.
  • Ongoing Climate Challenge: The International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that, despite some transformation in global energy systems, more substantial efforts are required to meet the 1.5-degree Celsius target. The IEA warned that current demand for fossil fuels is too high to align with the Paris Agreement’s temperature goal, and it associated the prevailing policies scenario with a potential temperature increase of 2.4 degrees Celsius by 2100.
  • Proposed Solutions by the IEA: The IEA proposed five key pillars as potential solutions to put the world on track to meet the 1.5-degree Celsius goal by 2030. These include tripling installed renewable energy capacity globally, achieving an orderly decline in fossil fuel usage, reducing methane emissions from fossil fuel operations by 75%, increasing clean energy investments in emerging and developing economies, and doubling the pace of energy efficiency improvements to 4% annually by 2030. The IEA also emphasized the importance of electrification and the need for equitable, inclusive solutions, encouraging coordination and cooperation among nations with varying resources to advance global climate efforts.

The article previews the upcoming COP28 climate change summit in Dubai, set to host prominent leaders and figures like Pope Francis and King Charles III. The summit aims to reassess the global commitment to the Paris Agreement’s goals, specifically targeting the limitation of global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Despite some progress in transitioning global energy sources, the International Energy Agency (IEA) highlighted in October 2023 that meeting the 1.5-degree goal remains an immense challenge. Their report warned that current fossil fuel demand could lead to a temperature rise of 2.4 degrees Celsius by 2100, well beyond the Paris Agreement’s targeted limit.

The IEA proposed several strategies to redirect the trajectory toward a more sustainable future. These include tripling installed global renewable energy capacity, reducing fossil fuel usage, significantly cutting methane emissions, elevating clean energy investments in emerging economies, and doubling the pace of energy efficiency improvements by 2030.

Additionally, the IEA emphasized the importance of inclusive and equitable solutions that benefit all nations while underscoring the necessity for collaboration between countries with varying resources to advance global climate efforts.

The executive director of the IEA, Fatih Birol, urged global decision-makers to consider the report’s findings as a guiding framework, particularly in preparation for the COP28 conference and beyond, stressing the significance of cooperation and coordinated efforts in the pursuit of a more sustainable and safer energy future.

For the full original article on CNBC, please click here: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/09/iea-lists-ingredients-to-keep-worst-effects-of-climate-change-at-bay.html