Sol-, vind- og vandenergi kan bremse klodens opvarmning – men det koster
Renewable sources such as solar, wind and hydropower (vandkraft) could fulfill almost 80 percent of the world’s energy demand by 2050 with the right policies, according to a UN report which won backing from governments on Monday.
The 26-page study, by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC = FNs klimapanel), broadly matched a draft written by scientists. It was approved by government delegates at talks in the Arab emirate, Abu Dhabi.
To reach the goal of generating nearly 80 percent of the world’s energy from renewable sources would require investments by governments and the private sector amounting to 5,1 trillion (billioner) US dollar through 2020, and nearly 7,2 trillion between 2021 and 2030, according to the report.
The benefits would include better public health from cleaner air, as well as fewer greenhouse gas emissions, which would help hold an increase in global temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius.
The report concluded that the use of renewables is on the rise, their prices are declining and that with the right policies, they will be an important tool both in tackling climate change and helping poor countries use the likes of solar or wind to develop their economies in a sustainable fashion.