A future based on 100 % renewable energy for all is achievable

October 2015

Greenpeace has launched the new edition of the popular Energy [R]evolution report “How to Achieve 100% Renewable Energy for All by 2050”.

The report delivers the evidence that the transition to 100 per cent renewables will not only create new jobs in the energy industry – nearly 20 million over the next 15 years – but the investment required is more than paid for by savings on future fuel costs.
100 per cent renewable energy means: quality of life, health and education. Renewable energy for all means equal access to electricity, including the one-third who currently have none.

Key points from the report “How to Achieve 100% Renewable Energy for All by 2050”:

  • 100% renewable energy for all is achievable by 2050, and is the only way to ensure the world does not descend into catastrophic climate change.  
  • We need to stop burning fossil fuels.
  • The renewable energy sector is proving it can transform power generation.
  • Heating and transport can also switch to renewables.
  • The switch to 100% renewable energy will create jobs.
  • The costs are huge, but the savings are even bigger.
  • There is growing support for 100% renewables.
  • There are no major economic or technical barriers to moving towards 100% renewable energy by 2050. It just requires the political will to make the change.

The Energy [R]evolution scenario is a scientific report, written by Greenpeace’s Dr Sven Teske, in collaboration with the scientific community led by the German Aerospace Centre. It demonstrates how to achieve the transition to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050, phasing out coal, oil, gas and nuclear energy. It shows the impact on jobs, and how such a transition could be funded.

The Energy [R]evolution scenarios have been published regularly since 2005 (this is the fifth report). Their predictions on the potential and market growth of renewable energy have proved more accurate than many of the world’s biggest energy agencies, including the IEA and the US Department of Energy.
Previous scenarios mapped the route to 80 per cent renewable energy. This one shows how we could reach 100 per cent renewable energy – a target which a growing number of scientists, engineers and activists believe is realistic and essential.

Source: Press release from Greenpeace
 

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Editorial: The road from Paris

At the UN climate conference in December 2015 in Paris, 196 countries will hopefully adopt a new global agreement for strong greenhouse gas reductions.

Environment MEPs want stricter air pollutant caps

Member states should meet stricter 2025 and 2030 air pollution reduction targets and mercury should also be included in the National Emission Ceilings directive, says the Parliament’s Environment Committee.
 

A future based on 100 % renewable energy for all is achievable

Greenpeace has launched the new edition of the popular Energy [R]evolution report “How to Achieve 100% Renewable Energy for All by 2050”.
 

Film:1.5 Stay Alive

AirClim has co-published a 50-minute documentary and Caribbean music film about climate change in the coastal zones of the Caribbean Region.

Exposing the role of coal in Europe – launch of European Coal Map

There is now a comprehensive overview of existing and planned coal power plants that also displays key information on pollution and health impact, presented by the Climate Action Network (CAN).

Deal on pollution from medium combustion plants

While EU-wide application of readily available emission abatement techniques would reduce NOx emissions from these plants by more than 80 per cent by 2025, the new directive will deliver less than half of this reduction.

Weak EU coal pollution standards carry high costs

Draft new EU emission limits for coal-fired power stations are so weak that they could result in health damage, including the loss of over 23 million working days, which would cost over €52 billion between 2020 and 2029.

140 000 life-years lost each year in London because of air pollution

Inclusion of the impact of nitrogen dioxide for the first time suggests that more than twice as many people as previously thought die prematurely from air pollution in London.

Lower speed – less emissions?

Ships in the Mediterranean Sea have reduced their speed by more than 30 per cent since 2008, which has led to a 45 per cent cut in average ship NOx emission factors.

Emissions keep on slowly shrinking

Air pollutant emissions from land-based sources are continuing to fall slightly, but considerably slower than before. Some of the reductions on land are also countered by rising emissions from international shipping.

Pledges for the 2015 UN climate agreement

South Korea plans to cut emissions by 37 percent by 2030, and China plans to boost renewables. As the Paris conference approaches, countries are submitting their plans for greenhouse gas reductions.

Dirty diesel cars tested

Emissions tests on 32 Euro 6 diesel passenger cars from ten different manufacturers and with different abatement technologies show that most cars fail to meet the NOx emissions standards under more realistic driving conditions.

Lignite villages have been needlessly destroyed

Lignite has a low energy output and requires huge quantities to be mined, which has a devastating impact on landscapes and settlements. Even so, many countries are still committed to the fuel.

EU air pollution emissions still exceeded

Ten EU countries breached at least one of their air pollutant emission ceilings in 2013, preliminary data from the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows.