Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on February 28th, 2008
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)
from: Jim Sniffen
Information Officer
UN Environment Programme
New York
tel: +1-212-963-8094/8210
info at nyo.unep.org
paul.suding at ren21.net
and Darcey Rakestraw
+1-202-452-1992 x517
drakestraw at worldwatch.org
Renewable Energy Accelerates Meteoric Rise: 2007 Global Status Report.
Washington, D.C.—The renewable energy industry is stepping up its meteoric
rise into the mainstream of the energy sector, according to the REN21
Renewables 2007 Global Status Report. Renewable energy production
capacities are growing rapidly as a result of more countries enacting
far-reaching policies.
Prepared by the Renewable Energy Network for the 21st Century (REN21)
www.ren21.net) in collaboration with the Worldwatch Institute www.worldwatch.org), the Renewables 2007 Global Status Report paints an
encouraging picture of rapidly expanding renewable energy markets,
policies, industries and rural applications around the world. In 2007,
global wind generating capacity is estimated to have increased 28 percent,
while grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity rose 52 percent.
“So much has happened in the renewable energy sector during the past five
years that the perceptions of some politicians and energy-sector analysts
lag far behind the reality of where the renewables industry is today”, says
Mohamed El-Ashry, Chair of REN21.
Renowned researcher Dr. Eric Martinot led an international team of 140
researchers and contributors from both developed and developing countries
to produce the report. He says renewable energy sources such as wind,
solar, geothermal and small-scale hydropower offer countries the means to
improve their energy security and spur economic development.
Citing the report, Martinot says the renewable energy sector now accounts
for 2.4 million jobs globally, and has doubled electric generating capacity
since 2004, to 240 gigawatts. More than 65 countries now have national
goals for accelerating the use of renewable energy and are enacting
far-reaching policies to meet those goals. Multilateral agencies and
private investors alike are integrating renewable energy into their
mainstream portfolios, capturing the interest of the largest global
companies.
Worldwatch President Chris Flavin says the report shows that renewable
energy is poised to make a significant contribution to meeting energy needs
and reducing the growth in carbon dioxide emissions in the years
immediately ahead. “The science is telling us we need to substantially
reduce emissions now, but this will only happen with even stronger policies
to accelerate the growth of clean energy”, he says.
El-Ashry emphasizes that many of the trends described in the Renewables
2007 Global Status Report are the result of leadership and actions launched
since the major renewable energy conference held in Bonn, Germany, in 2004.
“This leadership has never been more important, as renewable energy has now
reached the top of the international policy agenda under the United Nations
and the G8”, said El-Ashry.
Commenting on the dramatic rise of renewables, Achim Steiner, UN
Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environment
Programme (UNEP), said: “The findings come in the wake of UNEP’s annual
gathering of environment ministers in Monaco last week. It is clear from
ministers in Monaco and from reports like REN21 that we are beginning to
see elements of an emerging ‘Green Economy’, fueled by the existing climate
change agreements and the prospect of even deeper and more decisive
emissions reductions post-2012.”
The Renewables 2007 Global Status Report is being released ahead of the
Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC), taking place
March 4–6 in Washington, D.C. WIREC will be the third such international
conference following those in Bonn in 2004 and Beijing in 2005.
###
Download an advance copy of the Renewables 2007 Global Status Report (for
media only): http://www.ren21.net/pdf/RE2007_Global_S… or
http://www.worldwatch.org/files/pdf/rene….
To interview the report contributors, contact Darcey
Rakestraw, Worldwatch Institute, at +1-202-452-1992 x517,
drakestraw at worldwatch.org, or Paul Suding, REN21 Secretariat,
+33-144375091, paul.suding at ren21.net.
WIREC 2008: During WIREC 2008, a special side event will be held to present
the Renewables 2007 report on Tuesday, March 4, from 12:30–14:00 in the
Washington Conference Center.
About REN21: REN21 is a global policy network including members from
Governments and international organizations, civil society and industry
from the energy, environment, and development sectors. REN21’s goal is to
bolster policy development for the rapid expansion of renewable energy in
developing and industrialised economies. German development enterprise GTZ
and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) are partners in the network’s
secretariat. For more information, visit www.ren21.net.
About Worldwatch: The Worldwatch Institute is an independent research
organization based in Washington, D.C. that works on energy, resource and
environmental issues. The Institute’s State of the World report is
published annually in more than 20 languages. For more information, visit
Permalink | 
Printer Friendly | 
Email This Article
Posted in Reporting From the UN Headquarters in New York, UN Commission on Sustainable Development, Reporting from Washington DC, Global Warming issues, Real World's News, Future Meetings, Reporting from UNFCCC Meetings, Green is Possible, European Union, Job Offers, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Futurism, Africa, Islands & SIDS, Belgium, The US States
Leave a comment for this article
###
