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Renewable Energy: Common Myths Debunked

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Red Zeppelin)
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Critics of renewable energy often cite two reasons for why they think a transition from fossil fuels will take half a century. Firstly, that sources of renewable energy are too intermittent to be reliable and secondly, that governments cannot bear the costs of switching entire economies to clean energy.

It’s about time these assumptions were challenged. These perceived obstacles for the mass adoption of clean, renewable energy technologies are quickly becoming outdated.

Myth: intermittency makes renewable energy unreliable

Conventional thinking has long held that renewable energy intermittency makes solar, wind and other green alternatives too unreliable. Thankfully, rapid technological innovation in recent years means this myth outdated.

It’s true that solar energy is only produced when the sun is shining on solar panels. Likewise, wind energy is dependent on the ebb and flow of air currents. But the sheer volume of renewable energy being deployed, the ability to store that energy for longer, and to match demand with supply using software, creates a balanced grid.

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According to BloombergNEF, lithium-ion battery cell densities have almost tripled, and costs have declined by almost 90 percent in the past decade – making it easier to smooth out the peaks and troughs of generation to meet the shifts and cycles of demand. Renewable energy sources themselves have dropped by as much as 82 percent over the same timeframe. Further improvements to both generation and storage will continue driving down costs, making renewable energy even more attractive to consumers.

Take buildings as an example. Breakthroughs in battery capacity mean that it’s now perfectly feasible for homes and commercial buildings to install on-site solar renewable energy generation to harness energy when it’s available, then stockpile that energy to be used when it’s needed. Buildings can remain connected to the grid, using traditional grid-energy when costs are low, and shift to its renewable reserves during peak demand. Many countries have enabled energy consumers to sell excess electricity back to the grid when costs are high, and countries such as Australia, Germany, UK and the US are already piloting systems to enable peer-to-peer electricity trading.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Another area where there has been massive progress is artificial intelligence (AI) applications. AI-enabled software helps consumers manage energy production and storage to reduce costs, lower emissions, increase efficiencies, and automatically draw electricity from the most efficient or cheapest source. Software like Station A enables building owners to quickly calculate the return on investment of different renewable energy solutions and connects with service providers to find the best solution for each building.

Likewise, utilities use AI software solutions to connect their customers’ distributed energy resources (DER) to add flexibility to the grid. Western Power in Australia, for example, uses AutoGrid’s software to leverage customers’ rooftop solar panels and batteries, which has the potential to contribute 45 percent of the power system needs at certain times of the day, and lowers costs for consumers.

Myth: the energy transition will be too expensive

The second myth is that the switch to renewables is too expensive for mass adoption; that government and society cannot bear the massive costs of a full-scale transition. Some analysts forecast as much as $14 trillion will need to be invested in a fully renewable power system over the next 30 years.

Renewable energy is now the cheapest new electricity in countries that make up three quarters of the world’s GDP. It’s not only cheaper; it’s also more efficient. Coal power generation is 35 percent efficient, meaning 65 percent of energy is wasted in production and transport. In comparison, electricity powered by renewable sources is virtually 100 percent efficient at end use and can be produced and managed locally.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Increasingly, adoption no longer depends on the “push” of public spending or government edicts. Instead, the “pull” of consumer demand is driving the shift. Just as we switched from landlines to cell phones, from cable TV to streaming media, consumers are switching to renewable energy.

Reality: decentralized, decarbonized and digital energy

Past energy transitions moved slowly because they relied on sweeping infrastructure changes from centralized sources. By contrast, the renewable-energy transition is driven by small, decentralized generation and storage on buildings and homes, all connected by software.

For companies, investors and homeowners, now is the time to invest in renewable energy. Policymakers can accelerate the adoption, both to fight climate change and provide economic expansion in a growing sector, while ensuring an equitable transition for communities.

Common assumptions about the green energy transition are fast becoming outdated. This new energy system, which is already being built, will benefit the planet and future generations – and the sooner we lay the myths to rest, the better.

Source: World Economic Forum

ABB Recognized as a Globally Leading Innovative Corporation

Foto: ABB
Foto: ABB

Clarivate Top 100 Global Innovator lists ABB for the fifth time in ten years as top global innovation leader.

ABB has been named one of the world’s most innovative companies 2021 by Clarivate, a global leader in analytics, including scientific and academic research, patent intelligence and compliance standards.

Since 2012, Clarivate’s list has identified global innovators and celebrated companies and research institutions at the very top of the innovation ecosystem. Using the same methodology every year, Clarivate analyzes the patented ideas of over 14,000 entities for their levels of investment, impact and quality. 2021 marks the fifth time that ABB has been listed.

“We are very proud to be named once again as one of the world’s 100 most innovative corporations. Innovation has been in our DNA since we were founded more than 130 years ago and we will continue to invest in R&D to maintain our leading technology position in order to drive long-term profitable growth and create value for our customers and society”, said Björn Rosengren, CEO.

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In 2020, ABB has increased R&D and digital spend to 4.8 percent of Group revenues, corresponding to around USD 1.3 billion. The company employs some 7,000 researchers globally, of which more than 60 percent are focused on software development and digitalization.

The company continues to partner with more than 100 leading universities around the world. Among them ABB is working with Carnegie Mellon and Stanford University in the United States, University of British Columbia in Canada, Imperial College in the UK, the Indian Institute of Technology, China’s TsingHua University, Sweden’s Royal Institute of Technology and ETH Zurich in Switzerland.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries.

Source: ABB

 

This Flying AI Robot Can Pick Fruit – Preventing Waste in the Process

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Lambros Lyrarakis)

It’s getting harder to find fruit pickers to harvest the world’s orchards. COVID-19 travel restrictions have prevented seasonal workers crossing borders, so some farmers are turning to AI drones to pick their crops.

Even before the pandemic, growers were finding it increasingly hard to recruit people for picking. In July 2019, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) warned of continued labour shortages.

Farmers “try to hire American workers, but there are not many takers – and those who do take farm jobs often quit before the season is over,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall.

Last year, with travel restrictions in place around the world, governments across Europe appealed to those who had lost their jobs in the pandemic to help with the harvest. Spain and Italy even offered to allow illegal migrants the right to work as pickers.

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Now an Israeli company, Tevel Aerobotics Technologies, has invented a flying autonomous robot (FAR) which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify and pick fruit. The robot can work 24 hours a day and picks only ripe fruit.

Picking the best

The innovation was a direct response to labour shortages. “There are never enough hands available to pick fruit at the right time and the right cost. Fruit is left to rot in the orchard or sold at a fraction of its peak value, while farmers lose billions of dollars each year,” the company says.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Gregory Hayes)

The FAR robot uses AI perception algorithms to locate fruit trees and vision algorithms to find the fruit among the foliage and classify its size and ripeness. The robot then works out the best way to approach the fruit and remain stable as its picking arm grasps the fruit.

The drones are able to harvest the orchards without getting in each other’s way because of a single autonomous digital brain in a ground-based unit.

A job few people want

Over 800 million tonnes of fruit are produced globally each year representing an annual market worth over half a trillion US dollars.

“We need a large number of reliable pickers and we have to pay wages, organize visas, housing, food, healthcare and transportation,” said John White, CEO of Marom Orchards, one of the first fruit farms to use the new flying robot pickers.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Daniel Krueger)

“Costs are rising all the time. This is hard, seasonal work and other crops can pay higher wages. Young people all over the world are abandoning agricultural work in favour of higher paying, full-time urban jobs,” he added.

Tevel insists its robots are designed to complement human fruit pickers rather than replace them. The company claims there will be a shortage of five million pickers by 2050 and says its drones will ensure the 10 percent of fruit currently left unharvested will all be picked in future.

The United Nations has designated 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, with a focus on innovation and improved technologies to increase the efficiency and productivity of fruit and vegetable farming and to reduce loss and waste.

Last year, the World Economic Forum’s report, Data-Driven Food Systems for Crisis Resiliency, said technology must be used to make agriculture more sustainable in the aftermath of COVID-19 and called for an “innovation ecosystem” to foster new developments.

Source: World Economic Forum

Pacific Islands Unite Around Enhanced Renewables Ambition Under Climate Goals

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

In a year of critical action on climate mitigation and adaptation, Pacific Island governments have reinforced their commitment to energy transition action and strengthened sustainable energy goals within updated nationally determined contributions (NDCs) ahead of COP26 in Glasgow, the United Kingdom in November.

At a meeting of high-level policy and intergovernmental representatives jointly hosted by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Regional Pacific NDC Hub and the UK COP26 Presidency, ministers and government representatives reiterated the need for transformative pledges that significantly reorient the world’s energy transition pathway. Pacific nations aim to be at the forefront of global efforts.

During the discussion, H.E Charles Obichang, Minister of Infrastructure, Palau, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to a sustainable energy future: “Palau is developing a new roadmap that will ultimately result in a 100 percent fossil fuel free energy system. The pursuit of energy security through renewable energy makes environmental, social and economic sense for us, helping to fight climate change while creating opportunities for new industries and new jobs. Renewables are an opportunity for us to thrive in a new era of fossil fuel free energy production.”

Currently, 13 of the 14 Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have quantified renewable energy targets in their NDCs, submitted under the first round of Paris Agreement climate pledges, equating to nearly 2GW of renewables capacity. All Pacific SIDS are engaged in a process of NDC enhancement ahead of COP26 under the coordination of the Regional NDC Pacific Hub and with support of various development partners. Fiji, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea and Tonga have already submitted enhanced contributions.

Angeline Heine, Director of Energy, Republic of the Marshall Islands, noted that in order to meet multiple national objectives, her country’s strategy is organised around three pillars: “As a front liner on climate change the Republic of the Marshall Islands is fully committed to meeting its NDC objective of 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. Our goal is ambitious, but our electricity roadmap has identified three key priorities, which address the technology, human resources, and investment components of the plan. We believe this ensures our transition is owned and advanced by the Marshall Islands people.”

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Countries are given the opportunity to submit enhanced NDCs by COP26 by revising and enhancing mitigation and adaptation targets, finance goals, and developing concrete action plans for the implementation, formulation, and communication of long-term emission reduction strategies in 2020.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Representing the UK government, H.E Ken O’Flaherty, COP26 Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific, spoke of the opportunity for Pacific leadership both during, and in the lead up to, the climate meeting later this year: “The consequences of a warming planet will be catastrophic, particularly for citizens of the Pacific. COP26 can be the moment when the world comes together to ramp up momentum towards a climate resilient, zero-carbon economy and Pacific leadership can deliver the changes we need to see in the world. Many Pacific states have already committed to net-zero targets in their revised NDCs, which serve as inspiration for other countries to raise ambition.”

Francesco La Camera, Director General, IRENA, highlighted the global role Pacific Islands play in decarbonisation: “Pacific SIDS have become remarkable hubs of innovation on climate strategies, and a source of inspiration for the rest of the world. Even as they are severely impacted by deadly natural disasters, they continue to lead on climate action with steadfast resolve. While many Pacific nations set ambitious targets in their first NDCs, there is no doubt regional leadership shown in enhanced NDCs can inspire global efforts to drive meaningful action this year.”

Christian Gorg, Project Manager, Regional Pacific NDC Hub, said as the focus moves from ambition to implementation of the Paris Agreement goals, countries will need well-structured programmes to drive renewables development: “Energy is a common mitigation strategy among regional countries, and while their carbon emissions are insignificant their commitments are bold. The energy transformation can only be realised if countries understand their policy context, recognise any potential legislative barriers to development and are aware of the financing options available.”

A total of USD 5.2 billion of investment is needed by 2030 to implement what is currently targeted under the region’s NDCs, according to IRENA data based on the first round of NDCs. IRENA is working closely with several countries across the Pacific to enhance the renewable energy component of new NDCs for submission ahead of COP26.

Source: IRENA

 

 

Agricultural Policy Needs To Secure Stronger Environmental Improvements for Water in Europe

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Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (David Holifield)

Agricultural management practices should be based on agroecological principles, organic farming and nature-based solutions, the EEA report ‘Water and agriculture; towards sustainable solutions,’ says.

To achieve this, more ambitious measures to promote sustainable agriculture are needed in the upcoming EU common agricultural policy 2021-2027.

Recent EEA studies have shown that many of Europe’s surface and groundwaters are not in good status and the state of Europe’s regional seas is alarming.

Agricultural activities are an important source of pressures on Europe’s waters, due to nutrient and chemical pollution, water abstraction and physical changes in habitats, including through water storage and land drainage. Responding to these challenges is urgent, since climate change impacts in parts of Europe are exacerbating pressures on water and pose a risk to agricultural production.

The EEA assessment shows that a wide variety of management measures exist to tackle agricultural pressures on the water environment. While some progress has been made to reduce agricultural pressures in the 20th century, they remain at unsustainable levels with few signs of improvement over the past 10 years.

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The EEA report points to three areas of improvement:

  • Wider uptake of sustainable management practices based on agroecological principles, organic farming and nature- based solutions. Such practices have multiple sustainability benefits, reducing pressures on water, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhance the long-term resilience of agriculture to climate pressures and benefit biodiversity.
  • Implementation and integration of EU policies. This requires tackling incentives leading to pressures on water and prioritising funding for sustainable agriculture in the upcoming strategic plans of the EU common agricultural policy 2021-2027.
  • More holistic approaches to facilitate the transition to sustainable agriculture. Achieving the reductions needed to reach water and other environmental targets requires a combined approach, changing both agricultural practices and consumer demands, which is supported by a transition in food and energy systems.

The European Commission has put forward several initiatives under the European Green Deal to strengthen sustainability, including the biodiversity 2030, farm-to-fork and climate adaptation strategies, and the upcoming restoration directive, and zero pollution and balanced nutrient management action plans. If fully implemented and operationalised, the EEA assessment states, the ambitious new targets will support a more resilient and sustainable future.

Source: EEA

Why Countries Are Desperate To Defy the Odds and Access Mars

Photo-illustration: Pixabay
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Getting there takes seven months, and landing on a surface where the average temperature is about -60°C involves “seven minutes of terror.”

Who could resist?

Despite the obstacles, active exploration of Mars has ramped up of late – pushing scientific discovery forward and potentially inching us closer to human habitation. The United Arab Emirates inserted a probe into Martian orbit earlier this month, the US followed with a NASA rover landing, and China has its own probe orbiting the Red Planet in anticipation of landing a rover in May.

One reason for the cluster of missions is that Mars was relatively close due to the planetary alignment last year, presenting a limited launch window. And there’s perhaps never been a better time to establish space prowess as a measure of broader ambitions. A handful of countries and regions have now successfully reached Mars, including India, Europe (the European Space Agency) and the Soviet Union.

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The current round of exploration is expected to include several breakthroughs. NASA’s Perseverance rover is collecting Mars rocks for analysis for the first time, and it’s equipped with a microphone giving us our first listen to sounds from our neighbouring planet.

Mars has become such a popular destination that debris is starting to accumulate. In one case, a European Space Agency lander presumed to have crashed after going incommunicado in 2003 was spotted on the surface by an American orbiter more than a decade later, safely perched in icy silence.

The history of Mars exploration is riddled with failure. In the 1990s four out of NASA’s six Mars missions were lost, including a $125 million orbiter after engineers neglected to convert from English to metric measurements. Russia, Japan, and China have also suffered disheartening setbacks.

The redoubled efforts to reach Mars despite our spotty shared track record speaks to the potential rewards. In a geopolitical sense, the more that can be learned about the planet, the more it can be put to strategic use. China’s current mission is a sign of heightened ambition; it’s expected to use ice-mapping technology to glean new insights into a planet that is in some ways similar to ours, and in others a ghostly opposite.

We’ve come a long way from the days of 19th century Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli, whose Martian maps drawn on a Milan rooftop demonstrated questionable topographic certainty and sparked a belief in canals built by an alien civilization – but also gave us lasting place names.

For more context, here are links to further reading from the World Economic Forum’s Strategic Intelligence platform:

  • “A Wright brothers moment.” Among the firsts expected soon, according to this report: a powered flight on another world, when NASA’s Perseverance rover releases a tiny helicopter. (Nature)
  • China’s Mars mission, with a name that translates as “Quest for Heavenly Truth,” is bold even for a space program that’s racked up a steady stream of achievements of late including a moon landing, according to this report. (The Diplomat)
  • The UAE made history by becoming the first Arab nation to send a spacecraft to Mars, according to this report, and it now aims to establish the first inhabitable settlement on the planet within the next century. (Big Think)
  • Meet the Los Angeles-based member of the rock bands Black Belt Karate and Your Horrible Smile who helped design the microphone used on NASA’s Perseverance rover. (Wired)
  • The geopolitical situation is shifting dramatically in ways that could imperil future cooperation in space, according to this analysis – amid Russia sanctions and friction with China over trade and human rights. (Brookings)
  • While prior NASA missions to Mars showed it was likely once a warm planet habitable to microbial life, the current mission is meant to find evidence of such life; it will also test technology that could sustain human life there, according to this report. (MIT Technology Review)
  • Here’s the rocket science: a physics professor who has helped build a rover for the European Space Agency explains why it’s so hard to land one on the surface of Mars. (The Conversation)

On the Strategic Intelligence platform, you can find feeds of expert analysis related to Space, Geopolitics and hundreds of additional topics. You’ll need to register to view.

Source: World Economic Forum

The Center for Collecting and Processing Data and EV charger commissioned

Foto: EP
Photo: The Government of the Republic of Serbia

The Center for Collecting and Processing Data about Serbian highway traffic was opened yesterday at the toll plaza “Beograd” in Vrčin. Prime Minister Ana Brnabić visited the Center and also checked out the EV charger’s functionality which had been installed at the toll plaza.

She said that the Center would enhance the security of participants in traffic and improve environmental protection. Also, she commended the public company Roads of Serbia for the modernization and digitalization of the traffic monitoring system, explaining that the Center processes all the data acquired by surveillance cameras on highway and toll plazas and all signalization management at the highroads in Serbia also takes place there.

“The Center for Collecting and Processing Data about Serbian highway traffic will provide traffic speed monitoring and collect data about their registration plates and average speed on the highway. The Mihailo Pupin Institute has prepared the whole project. The Government will support Serbian know-how and innovations so that our economy becomes more competitive, and the fund will be allocated by The Innovation Fund, the Science Fund and many other funds we have established”, said Prime Minister.

She took an opportunity to see the EV charger’s performance that had been installed right behind the toll plaza in Vrčin, coming from the direction of Niš. This charger is an introduction of e-mobility development that should bring about a considerable reduction of air pollution in the country. As the prime minister explained on that occasion, there are eight EV chargers on Serbian highways, and the installation of additional ten EV chargers is budgeted for this year. According to the announcement on the Government’s official web site, around 90 EV chargers are available around the cities and municipalities in Serbia.

EV charger ABB HP 175 at the plaza toll in Vrčin was recently installed by the MT-KOMEX company and was integrated into charge&GO, the first regional web platform for EV charging. This system provides easy and fast charging of electric vehicles and EV drivers can also use the charge&GO mobile application for Android and iOS.

Photo: EP

The Minister of Environmental protection, Irena Vujović said the subsidies for the purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles and the development of the necessary infrastructure serve as an encouragement to citizens to buy eco-friendly vehicles.

She said that traffic is the significant cause of air pollution globally, with an average of 22% of CO2 emissions and 12 % of PM pollutions. According to some estimation, in the upcoming years, every third vehicle in Europe will be eco-friendly, which is the standard that Serbia tries to reach.

Prime Minister pointed out that many initiatives are underway to reduce air pollution in Serbia. It is the reason for investment of more than 500 million euro in a Sulphur recovery unit in thermal power plants.

On that occasion, Brnabić informed that in the next few days, the decision would be published in the Official Gazette concerning the reductions of costs for gas connection by approximately 100.000 dinars per household.

From her point of view, it is a great incentive to all our citizens to connect to a gas network so that the number of individual furnaces can be reduced, which are also among the huge air pollutants.

 

Energetski portal

UN Environment Assembly Concludes With an Urgent Call For Action to Solve Planetary Emergencies

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Ministers of environment and other leaders from more than 150 nations today concluded a two-day online meeting of the Fifth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in which the Assembly warned that the world risks new pandemics if we don’t change how we safeguard nature.

The UN Environment Assembly meets biennially to set priorities for global environmental policies and develop international environmental law; decisions and resolutions then taken by Member States at the Assembly also define the work of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Due to the pandemic, Member States agreed on a two-step approach to UNEA-5: an online session (22-23 February 2021) and an in-person meeting planned for February 2022.

Attended by thousands of online participants, including more than 1,500 delegates from 153 UN Member States and over 60 Ministers of the Environment, the Assembly – which was broadcast live – also agreed on key aspects of UNEP’s work, kicked off the commemoration of UNEP’s 50th anniversary and held leadership dialogues where Member States addressed how to build a resilient and inclusive post-pandemic world.

“It is increasingly evident that environmental crises are part of the journey ahead. Wildfires, hurricanes, high temperature records, unprecedented winter chills, plagues of locusts, floods and droughts, have become so commonplace that they do not always make the headlines,” Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said in remarks to the Assembly. “These increasing adverse weather and climatic occurrences sound a warning bell that calls on us to attend to the three planetary crises that threaten our collective future: the climate crisis, the biodiversity and nature crisis, and the pollution and waste crisis.”

In a political statement entitled “Looking ahead to the resumed UN Environment Assembly in 2022 – Message from online UNEA-5, Nairobi 22 – 23 February 2021” endorsed at the close of the Assembly, Member States reaffirmed UNEP’s mandate as the leading global environmental authority and called for greater and more inclusive multilateralism to tackle the environmental challenges.

The statement said the Assembly wished “to strengthen our support for the United Nations and for multilateral cooperation and remain convinced that collective action is essential to successfully address global challenges.” It went on to warn that “more than ever that human health and wellbeing are dependent upon nature and the solutions it provides, and we are aware that we shall face recurring risks of future pandemics if we maintain our current unsustainable patterns in our interactions with nature.”

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Sveinung Rotevatn, President of UNEA-5 and Norway’s Minister for Climate and Environment, echoed the warning.

“Everyone gathered at the Environment Assembly today are deeply concerned about how the pandemic causes new and serious health, socio-economic and environmental challenges, and exacerbates existing ones, all over the world,” he told a press conference on the closing day of UNEA-5.

“We shall work together to identify actions which can help us address climate change, protect biodiversity, and reduce pollution, at the same time,” he added.

The Assembly agreed to a new Medium-Term Strategy, Programme of Work and budget for UNEP. The new Strategy – which will take UNEP from 2022-2025 – sets out a vision for UNEP’s role in delivering the promises of the 2030 Agenda.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

“The strategy is about transforming how UNEP operates and engages with Member States, UN agencies, the private sector, civil society and youth groups, so we can go harder, faster, stronger,” said Ms. Inger Andersen, UNEP ‘s Executive Director. “This strategy is about providing science and know-how to governments. The strategy is also about collective, whole-of-society action – moving us outside ministries of the environment to drive action.”

At an event commemorating UNEP’s upcoming 50th anniversary in 2022, Ms. Andersen acknowledged the importance of the moment to reflect on the past and envision the future.

“Indeed, the strides taken so far towards safeguarding the environment are testament to UNEP’s work,” President Kenyatta noted. “UNEP has had a lasting impact on how we care for the environment, nature and our livelihoods.”

In the run-up to the Assembly, UNEP launched a major report, together with UN Secretary-General António Guterres – Making Peace with Nature – which provides a comprehensive blueprint for solving the triple planetary emergencies of climate change, biodiversity and pollution. A number of events were also held in support of UNEA-5, including a Global Youth Assembly, a Science Policy Business Forum and the launch of a Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency.

“The last few days have been encouraging. We saw a new global effort on resource-efficient, circular economies. A push on financing emission reductions from forests. Governments, scientists and businesses coming together to look at big data as a tool for change. Youth raising their voices and telling us ‘nothing about us, without us’ and calling for targeted funds to enable their deeper engagement,” Ms. Andersen added.

Source: UNEP

 

At the Heart of Technological Transformation and Modernization

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash ( Vitor Monteiro)
Photo: Spain Embassy

Spain is one of the European countries most concerned about climate change. The southern areas of this Mediterranean country are characterized by rather harsh climatic conditions, such as high temperatures, droughts, scarce rainfall and insufficient water. Nevertheless, the Spanish government is actively working to mitigate climate change, among other things, and to create a framework for sustainable growth that will enable the national economy to reach climate neutrality by 2050. The first step was the adoption of the Strategic Framework for Energy and Climate. The Ministry of Environmental Transition will also provide support through the financing of projects that meet certain criteria. Perhaps the most important condition is that the applied technology contributes to reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Energy storage within wind farms and solar power plants will also be financially supported, and priority will be given to projects located on the sites of closed coal-fired power plants. Simultaneously, the Spanish government has also committed to building 3,000 MW of wind and solar power plants over the next decade.

During the conversation with Spanish Ambassador to Serbia Raúl Bartolomé Molina, we sought to learn how the authorities plan to mitigate the vulnerability, increase the country’s security and resilience to climate change, and improve its ability to adapt to new and challenging climate and energy scenarios.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jorge Fernandez Salas)

EP: According to the results of a survey conducted by Ipsos in March 2019, more than 50 percent of Spaniards considered global warming to be the most important environmental challenge facing Spain. What is being presented to the concerned public to mitigate the consequences of global warming in the future?

Raúl Bartolomé Molina: One of the key elements is adopting the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan. It sets the path for decarbonization for the next decade and contains the following goals to be achieved by 2030, such as a 23 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990, and a 42 percent share of energy in final consumption from renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency by 39.5 percent and 74 percent of the share of renewable energy in the electricity sector. These goals will enable the achievement of long-term goals, primarily climate neutrality by 2050, which means 100 percent of renewable sources in the electricity system and a reduction of at least 90 percent in the total emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) compared to 1990. 

In focus:

EP: The European Environment Agency (EEA) predicts that the largest increase in droughts in Europe will be in the Iberian Peninsula, contributing to a greater risk of desertification. What is the plan for adapting to these changes? 

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Raúl Bartolomé Molina: Most of the effects of climate change could be drastically reduced and prevented through adaptation programs. In this context, the recently adopted National Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2021–2030. defines 81 areas of action to build resilience and reduce damage in 18 sectors, including human health, water, natural heritage, biodiversity and protected areas, coasts and marine environment, forest protection, combating desertification, agriculture and livestock or food safety. These actions will have to evolve over the next decade and require legislative changes and profound structural reforms. 

EP: Spain has launched an ambitious plan to switch to renewables by 2050 completely and soon after to completely decarbonize its economy. What measures have been taken and what remains to be done to achieve this goal?

Raúl Bartolomé Molina: Spain is strongly committed to achieving climate neutrality by the middle of the century, taking the lead in implementing the Paris Agreement and the international community’s commitments. In this regard, the Bill on Climate Change and Energy Transition – currently being debated in the Spanish Parliament – includes a significant range of ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and switch to renewable energy sources by 2050. To achieve this goal, it has been determined that by 2030, at least 35 percent of the final energy consumption should be from renewable sources. It can be achieved by expanding the network of electric vehicles, changing the mode of transport, using the electric railway instead of freight transport, or changing the energy source with lower emissions in the residential, industrial and service sectors. Moreover, the Spanish electricity system must be 70 percent renewable by 2030 to reach the set goal of 100 percent by 2050. This goal will require installing new renewable energy production capacities, and sufficient reserve capacities to guarantee the security of supply. Besides, energy efficiency measures will have to reduce primary energy consumption by at least 35 percent, for example through systems implemented in new construction projects and the renovation of existing buildings and the application of new industrial processes. 

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

EP: Coal-fired power plants in the EU are closing, and Spain has two that are still operating. Are they expected to close in the coming years? 

Raúl Bartolomé Molina: Spain closed many thermal power plants in a short period and reduced their use by 69 percent in two years. In 2020 alone, seven thermal power plants in Spain ceased to operate. Their closure is justified for environmental and economic reasons because they are the main source of pollution and are not economically sustainable. 

However, the social consequences of these measures are not negligible and should be addressed appropriately. Therefore, the recent closure of coal-fired power plants has taken place in the spirit of an intensive process marked by strong social dialogue to ensure a fair transition of jobs and regions, so that no one is left out. As you pointed out, there are still some coal-fired power plants operating, and we are making continuous efforts to reorganize and further develop coal-rich areas. Therefore, the closure of the remaining power plants is not expected in the next few years, until all economic, environmental and social aspects are considered and fully resolved.

Interview by: Jovana Canic

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine SMART CITIES, december 2020 – february 2021.

 

IRENA Report Identifies Policy Measures to Advance Jordan’s Transition to Renewables

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Thomas Richter)

A new report published today by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has identified a series of policy measures that can help advance the energy transition towards renewable energy in Jordan.

The “Renewables Readiness Assessment: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan” – developed in co-operation with Jordan’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, suggests opportunities exist to deepen private sector engagement in national efforts to reach a 31 per cent share of renewables in total power by 2030.

“The recommendations of this report comply with the newly issued Energy strategy 2020-2030 and its action plan,” said H.E. Engineer Hala Zawati, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources in Jordan. “We are fully aware that to achieve all these ambitious targets, a strong partnership between the public and private sectors is needed. We are also eager to work with international friends and partners to make renewable energy a main pillar of the Jordan energy sector.”

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The report presents policy action areas to increase energy security and boost supply diversity through the accelerated uptake of renewables and includes ideas to boost end-use electrification and increase the availability of energy transition investments from domestic institutions.

Jordan’s share of electricity from renewables grew from almost zero in 2014 to around 20 percent in 2020 thanks to enabling frameworks and policies that have supported the deployment of renewable energy technologies, including solar photovoltaic (PV) and onshore wind.

“Jordan boasts significant renewable energy resource potential that if realised will reduce consumer energy costs, improve national energy security, create jobs and stimulate sustainable growth – boosting post COVID-19 economic recovery efforts,” said IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera. “This report highlights a series of policy and regulatory measures that will allow Jordan to build on its energy transition progress to date and align it with 2030 national decarbonisation goals.”

Capacity building in local financing institutions and project developers can drive their engagement in the energy transition, the report says, while helping the country to meet its needs in important areas such as the build-out of electric charging infrastructure for the transport system.

Challenges associated with integrating higher shares of renewables in Jordan can be addressed by building and upgrading transmission and distribution infrastructure, deploying storage, promoting demand-side management and incentivising electrification of heating, cooling and transportation.

Renewables Readiness Assessment: Jordan lists concrete recommendations around the following seven action areas:

  • Provide the conditions for renewables to grow in the power sector
  • Foster continued growth of renewable power generation
  • Plan for the integration of higher shares of renewable power
  • Incentivise the use of renewables for heating and cooling
  • Support renewable options for transport and mobility
  • Catalyse renewable energy investment
  • Strengthen local industries and create jobs in renewables

Read the full report

The press-release is also available in Arabic.

Source: IRENA

A Ten Step Plan to Save Our Seas

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Paola Ocaranza)
Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Benjamin Jones)

The year 2050 has been predicted by some to be a bleak year for the ocean. Experts say that by 2050 there may be more plastic than fish in the sea, or perhaps only plastic left. Others say 90 percent of our coral reefs may be dead, waves of mass marine extinction may be unleashed, and our seas may be left overheated, acidified and lacking oxygen.

It is easy to forget that 2050 is not that far off. Kids we see building sandcastles on the beach today might be gaining traction in their jobs and perhaps starting their own families. The possibility that our children may inherit from us such a broken and diminished ocean is hard to accept.

Such a future, however, is not yet written in stone. A healthier, more whole, and maybe even more profitable future ocean may still be within reach – at least for a little while.

More:

Denmark To Build World’s First Energy Island In The North Sea

World Climate Research Programme Moves Towards a New Future

Human Activities Put Pressure on Every Part of Europe’s Seas

Here are 10 steps that could take us towards a more desirable ocean future:

1. Freeze the warming. Stopping climate change is the hardest but most important step we can take for ocean health. It is good news to have the US back in the Paris Agreement. However, we now need ambitious national commitments to achieve carbon neutrality from all signatories of the Agreement. Recent actions by China, the EU, Japan and the UK are also positive.

2. Walk the talk. We need to make these carbon neutrality commitments real. This will require massive new investment in renewable energy sources, including some more experimental solutions (such as fusion), plus potentially looking with open minds into making older low-carbon energy solutions safer and more viable (such as traditional nuclear). We need to fast-track the development of sustainable next-generation batteries to store this energy intelligently across our grids. This includes major needs for marine energy infrastructure. A future, for example, with electrified ports and low-emission ships would help eliminate the epidemic of deafening ocean noise, address environmental injustices associated with pollution in ports, make oil spills a thing of the past, and significantly reduce global emissions.

Photo- illustraton: Pixabay

3. Blue revolution. The ‘green revolution’ – a massive ramping up of food production on land in the 1950s – has belatedly reached the sea. Ocean farming, or aquaculture, has increased by more than 1,000 percent in the ocean recently. The green revolution was sloppily executed, and the first baby steps of the blue revolution have included similar stumbles: chemical pollution, genetic pollution and habitat destruction. But the blue revolution can still clean up its act. Farming in the right places, with the right species, and the right practices could make aquaculture a win for human and environmental health. Ocean food research (into plant-based and cell-based seafood, for example) could also help us meet growing demand for seafood sustainably.

4. 30 x 30. Parks protect some of our most important chunks of nature on land – our Yellowstones and Serengetis. We are vastly behind setting up parks in the sea. We need to follow through on calls to protect 30 percent of our ocean by 2030. This must be as much about quality as quantity. We need to use intelligent planning algorithms and the intelligence of local and indigenous people to select the very best 30 percent of the sea to protect. Then the hard work begins. We must develop and deploy new technology to monitor and protect the living assets we put in these ocean savings accounts.

5. The other 70 percent. An ocean industrial revolution is beginning. Human industry is growing at exponential rates in the sea. Even if we succeed in protecting 30 percent of the ocean, we must still intelligently zone and manage this accelerated anthropogenic growth in the majority of our unprotected ocean. We largely missed that boat on land. Proactive steps to sustainably onboard an ocean industrial revolution include responsibly managing wild capture fisheries (and making more money in the process), carefully zoning what marine industries go where, eliminating harmful fisheries subsidies, and coming to grips with the fact that some new marine industries, like ocean mining, are simply too dangerous to be allowed into the ocean.

6. Big cracks in the sea. Most of the ocean belongs to us all. This includes the two-thirds of the ocean in the high seas that lies beyond all nations’ ocean borders and the marine regions surrounding Antarctica. Protection of biodiversity and equitable sharing of resources has slipped through antiquated governance gaps in these international ocean spaces. But a proposed new UN Treaty for high seas biodiversity – and negotiations to sustainably manage and protect Antarctic waters could help.

7. End plastic pollution. Plastic pollution is the ocean’s new cancer. We need to ban unnecessary plastics and tax other single use plastics, finally making them valuable materials we want to recover and helping to pay for the full cost of their environmental impacts. We need research and tech to prevent plastics from leaking into the sea, to overhaul our recycling systems, and to design economically viable alternatives to plastics. This progress may be accelerated by a proposed international ‘Paris Agreement’ for plastic pollution.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

8. Land. We can help the ocean by first setting a few things right on land. We must massively increase our ambition to save our forests, thus locking up a huge chunk of carbon dioxide. We need to stop wastefully spilling megatons of costly fertilizers into rivers that are creating hundreds of marine dead zones. Precision agriculture that optimizes fertilizer use, coupled with other farming reform practices can help.

9. Wired ocean. We need more ocean data. This includes new tech to detect illegal fishing and connect sustainable fishers to consumers. We need tech to help endangered marine wildlife co-exist with ocean industry and fleets of environmental sensors above and below the water to better study our rapidly changing ocean.

10. Ocean equity. To build a healthy ocean, we must ensure all people have a fair stake in its success and that they are no longer unevenly harmed by ocean health risks. The fate of the ocean will affect people in all communities. Thus, we need people from all communities in ocean science, management, and policy.

Fulfilling the apocalyptic predictions for a 2050 ocean will be all too easy. Altering that ocean future may be one of the hardest things we’ve ever collectively achieved. But the consequences of inaction will be even harder to shoulder – for us and our ocean.

Source: World Economic Forum

Bitcoin, Tesla, Electricity Usage, And A Mea Culpa

Foto: Pixabay
Photo: CleanTechnica

Over two years ago, CleanTechnica published a substantive report I authored, checking in on the global intersection of blockchain technology and cleantech. About 66 ventures in 26 countries were covered. Naturally, the subject of bitcoin’s electricity use was covered as well, as there was some pulling of hair and gnashing of teeth about it at the time.

 

And I got it wrong, at least so far.

“[M]ost of the concern about cryptocurrency energy use is going to go away in the next year. The bubble will pop for stale assets like bitcoin, places like China will clamp down on wasting electricity on competitive mining, and everybody else will move to variants of proof-of-stake or perhaps IOTA, which seems to dodge the bullet in a different way.”

Yeah, bitcoin isn’t stale, it seems, and is holding onto the first mover advantage I pointed out in the article and subsequent report. Most recently, of course, is Musk’s announcement that Tesla had used $1.5 billion of its spare cash to take a position in bitcoin and would soon be accepting bitcoin to pay for Teslas.

As I pointed out at the time, bitcoin sucks as a currency, but is decent (if weird) as a store of value. As a currency, it’s slow and expensive to use in transactions, increasingly so with each passing month, and its value is even more notional and abstract than the currency of countries, which at least have some tie to production, GDP, trade balances, and central bank monetary policy.

Photo: Clean Technica

Buying $35,000 to $120,000 cars with bitcoin seems like about the right level for a transaction with it, unlike transactions people do daily or even monthly. It’s terrible for groceries or Amazon Prime level buys, but major purchases like cars that will last years aren’t off base.

I’d spent some time looking at the concept of currency in the series and report, and that included Westphalian monetary sovereignty and cryptocurrency’s effort to become a post-Westphalian currency. Right now I’m reading Stephanie Kelton’s The Deficit Myth (highly recommended), so I’m engrossed again in monetary policy and its nuances. In a nutshell, jurisdictions which have Westphalian monetary sovereignty and avoid a couple of traps related to it can basically never run out of money to spend as long as they dodge rising inflation. That means that the USA, for example, has all the money it needs for a job guarantee for everyone at a living wage, to fix its failing infrastructure and to pay to decarbonize its economy.

So, into that, a bunch of people being annoyed at Elon Musk about his climate-unfriendly bitcoin choice. Meh.

I have some game in regard to annoying statements about data centers, computing, and carbon debts. I calculated the carbon debts of the major cloud providers a couple of years ago, and then I used that to refute a statement about machine learning models’ carbon debt in another major CleanTechnica report. The day the bitcoin noise broke, I’d spent some time in the morning calculating the energy use of all of the zettabytes of data in the world in response to a client’s question. I’d done that before too, around the time that myths about sending emails being carbon intensive were percolating around the web. It’s still around 1 percent of global electricity use, by the way, where it’s been for years. Data centers have been hunting efficiency, too.

And while I was wrong about bitcoin fading into nothingness, I wasn’t wrong about bitcoin miners seeking the cheapest electricity available, which means renewables, which means low-carbon. Even in 2018, 39 percent of energy used for cryptocurrencies was reportedly coming from renewables, mostly hydroelectric, and that number has just risen.

So, here’s the deal. Stop blaming electricity usage and compute power for climate change. Point your fingers at fossil fuels instead. That’s the real problem, not our computing choices, regardless how inane they may seem.

Source: CleanTechnica

WRITTEN BY: Michael Barnard

Bosnia and Herzegovina Takes Steps to Address Challenges Arising From Small Hydropower Development

Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

This week’s adoption of the Declaration on River Protection by the National Assembly of , one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a welcome step forward in addressing the challenges arising from hydropower development. It complements a similar declaration adopted by the Parliament of the second entity, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in June 2020. The Secretariat commends the exemplary cooperation between legislators and the public in these efforts.

Both declarations call on the entity governments to halt the procedures for approving new hydropower projects and their construction until a review of all relevant national legislation is completed, and a subsequent report on its findings and proposals for reform are drawn up. The review is expected to include proposals for amendments to the state support schemes for renewable energy and to exempt small hydropower projects from receiving state incentives – as recommended in the Secretariat’s Policy Guidelines on Small Hydropower Projects.

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The Secretariat is assisting Bosnia and Herzegovina in the preparation of a new regulation that will secure environmentally-friendly river flow. The Government of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is already in the last stage of adopting a catalogue on the criteria for the sustainable development of hydropower plants up to 10 MW. The catalogue aims to steer strategic decision-making on small hydropower development, taking into consideration the criteria pertaining to energy management, ecological values, water management aspects and spatial planning.

The Secretariat will continue to support all Contracting Parties in their efforts to balance obligations with respect to renewable energy development and nature protection.

Source: Energy Community

Helping Small Go Big: Mainstreaming What Happens in the Margins

Photo: UNDP Mexico (Emily Mkrtichian)
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

With only a decade of action left for the sustainable development agenda, UNDP is looking beyond business as usual, to find new ways to learn from the margins, and to look into radically new approaches that fit the complexity of development challenges.

One of those new approaches is learning from women and men who have solved problems through ingenuity and simple, frugal means.

People such as Made Kusuma, an environmental health graduate from Bali, who was frustrated by the numerous floods caused by the lack of a waste management system in his community. Drawing inspiration from nature, he found black soldier flies to process organic waste, which also serves as livestock feed. Or Omar Vazquez, who developed “Sargablocks,” a building block made from seaweed and organic materials, now being used to build homes across the Riviera Maya in Mexico.

Grassroots innovations have often never been codified, applied elsewhere, nor expanded upon. They are naturally frugal, and grounded in a specific context.

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We are working on a hypothesis that gave Made Kusuma, Omar Vazquez, and many other grassroots innovators  an important role to help national partners achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. How can a large international organization such as UNDP begin to mainstream what happens in the margins?

The two most common ways are through local innovation challenges or by identifying existing user-led innovations. Different experiments compared both approaches and concluded that user-led innovations are higher in quality, feasibility and social impact.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (John Cameron)

And unlike the solutions that emerged from the innovation challenges, they are more relevant, and produce more novel ideas.

So, we are asking ourselves: Do we know who these grassroots innovators are? How many are they? What answers are they coming up with? Often, they remain invisible.

Placing an educated bet on grassroots innovations, the UNDP Accelerator Labs is conducting an experiment. Working with 92 labs in 116 countries, the network is tapping into the distributed knowledge, perceptions, and practices of women and men facing the effects of climate change, who live in poverty, and who can contribute to putting the planet on a more sustainable path.

We brought onboard 92 solutions mappers, now embedded inside the organization.

Solutions mapping means finding things that work and expanding on them. It  seeks out local assets and identifies positive deviants, women and men whose have found  better ways to solve a problem, despite facing similar challenges and having no extra resources.

“To be a mapper in the UNDP Accelerator Lab network is to be part of a community of brilliant development practitioners who are constantly pushing the edge of development fieldwork. We are trying new approaches, tools, and sharing knowledge and solutions found in our countries,” says Basma Saeed, Head of Solutions Mapping, UNDP Accelerator Lab Sudan.

This blog is part of a series to reflect on why we approach innovations from the bottom-up.

Grassroots innovations tend to be frugal, using local materials, and designed by and for the community. They can take different forms from furniture-recycling, reducing the drudgery of manual labour, turning waste plastic into value by mixing it with sand or sawdust, and pedaling to provide wireless access, to name a few.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

We are running an experiment based on the assumption that people living closest to the problem are best equipped to come up with the answer.

Most grassroots innovations seem to be designed to solve many problems. Omar Vazquez’s bricks made out of seaweed are helping solve a climate crisis while also improving the community’s economic stability. This multifunctionality is a key feature of why grassroots innovations matter to the Sustainable Development Goals — as we cannot achieve them separately or individually.

“If you provide universal education and provide clean water, you still need to achieve gender equality, reduce inequalities, and eliminate poverty. These goals are much more interconnected. You can’t treat them as individual targets,” says Gina Lucarelli, Team Leader, UNDP Accelerator Labs.

We recognize people living close to the problem have critical knowledge to learn from.

“Innovations don’t just happen in shiny labs and Silicon Valley and all that. At UNDP Accelerator Labs, we recognize that innovation occurs all around us, in villages and farming communities, to name a few,” says Fatima Farouta, Head of Solutions Mapping, UNDP Ghana Accelerator Lab.

Policymakers and development experts make crucial decisions that affect many lives, but this top-down approach can often miss. User-led innovation usually address issues and challenges from a perspective that favours experience.

Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Professor Anil Gupta, Founder of the Honeybee Network, teaches and lives the maxim that every grassroots innovation is also an indicator of an unmet need. By mapping grassroots initiatives, we can then inform UNDP programmes, such as  this innovation from UNDP Philippines; a WIFI vending machine made from repurposed electronic appliances that give five minutes of internet access by inserting a piso coin.

Eric Von Hippel, the creator of the term user-led innovation, says informal innovation is a feature, not a bug. He sees that breakthroughs in human history, such as the Industrial Revolution, were linked to a series of small improvements. By systematically identifying and helping diffuse grassroots innovations, the net effect on economic wellbeing can be very large.

We’re embedding solutions mapping into our lab network. We’ve launched for Tomorrow, a global initiative for grassroots solutions in partnership with Hyundai Motor Company. The for Tomorrow platform is dedicated to celebrate and accelerate grassroots innovation, connect local innovators who are creating a more sustainable future.

We’re working along with agencies such as UNICEF and UNHCR to expand frugal innovations. If you are working on similar areas, know of grassroots innovations and local innovators in your communities, or have an idea for collaboration, let’s connect.

Our journey has begun, but there is more to be done. In the next part of this series, we will reflect on how the labs are applying solutions mapping, showcase what we are learning, and share the different pathways to value of this exercise. Stay tuned as we continue to share our learnings and (mis)adventures on approaching innovation from the bottom-up.

Source: UNDP

The EV Effect: Markets are Betting on the Energy Transition

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Andrew Roberts)
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has calculated that USD 2 trillion in annual investment will be required to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement in the coming three years.

Electromobility has a major role to play in this regard – IRENA’s transformation pathway estimates that 350 million electric vehicles (EVs) will be needed by 2030, kickstarting developments in the industry and influencing share values as manufacturers, suppliers and investors move to capitalise on the energy transition.

Today, around eight million EVs account for a mere 1 percent of all vehicles on the world’s roads, but 3.1 million were sold in 2020, representing a 4 percent market share. While the penetration of EVs in the heavy duty (3.5+ tons) vehicles category is much lower, electric trucks are expected to become more mainstream as manufacturers begin to offer new models to meet increasing demand.

The pace of development in the industry has increased the value of stocks in companies such as Tesla, Nio and BYD, who were among the highest performers in the sector in 2020. Tesla produced half a million cars last year, was valued at USD 670 billion, and produced a price-to-earnings ratio that vastly outstripped the industry average, despite Volkswagen and Renault both selling significantly more electric vehicles (EV) than Tesla in Europe in the last months of 2020.

Nevertheless, it is unlikely this gap will remain as volumes continue to grow, and with EV growth will come increased demand for batteries. The recent success of EV sales has largely been driven by the falling cost of battery packs – which reached 137 USD/kWh in 2020. The sale of more than 35 million vehicles per year will require a ten-fold increase in battery manufacturing capacity from today’s levels, leading to increased shares in battery manufacturers like Samsung SDI and CATL in the past year.

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This rising demand has also boosted mining stocks, as about 80 kg of copper is required for a single EV battery. As the energy transition gathers pace, the need for copper will extend beyond electric cars to encompass electric grids and other motors. Copper prices have therefore risen by 30 percent in recent months to USD 7 800 per tonne, pushing up the share prices of miners such as Freeport-McRoran significantly.

Finally, around 35 million public charging stations will be needed by 2030, as well as ten times more private charging stations, which require an investment in the range of USD 1.2 – 2.4 trillion. This has increased the value of charging companies such as Fastnet and Switchback significantly in recent months.

Skyrocketing stock prices – ahead of actual deployment – testify to market confidence in the energy transition; however, investment opportunities remain scarce. Market expectations are that financing will follow as soon as skills and investment barriers fall. Nevertheless, these must be addressed without delay to attract and accelerate the investment required to deliver on the significant promise of the energy transition.

Source: IRENA

In the Textile Industry, Old Is Increasingly Becoming New

Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Burgess Milner)
Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Angela Bailey)

A clothing company in the Philippines that uses scrap material to make shoes. A technology startup in Ireland that allows strangers to swap little-used clothes. And a fashion house in Brazil that produces zero waste and repurposes old clothes into new ones.

These are three of a growing number of companies that are bucking an environmentally destructive trend towards fast fashion.

The textile industry, say observers, has long been primed for a circular makeover.

Amid rapacious demand for cheap, on-trend clothing, it has become a major driver of climate change: some sources say that the textile sector accounts for about 8 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Producing one kilogram of textiles also uses over half a kilogram of chemicals, and consumes huge quantities of fresh water.

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“The fashion industry has long been criticized for the impact it has on the environment,” said Elisa Tonda, Head of Consumption and Production Unit at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “Much of that criticism is justified. But at the same time, there is a lot of innovation happening right now that bodes well for the future.”

Tonda made the comments ahead of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), where some discussions focused on what’s known as the circular economy, that prizes reusing things – from beverage bottles to camisoles – instead of throwing them away.

UNEA also saw the launch of a Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency, established by UNEP, the European Commission and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). The alliance builds on existing regional initiatives (such as the African Circular Economy Alliance) to speed up transition to a global circular economy through more efficient, equitable use of resources. It also promotes sustainable consumption, production and industrialization.

A good time for change

The economic recovery from COVID-19 offers a rare opportunity to dramatically shift the trajectory of many industries, including textiles.

“Tying financial stimulus packages to actions that align with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement will lock in long-term resource efficiency and decouple economic growth from environmental degradation,” said Archana Datta, a Project Coordinator for India, at the SWITCH-Asia initiative, which promotes sustainable production and consumption.

Circularity and sustainability also make economic sense for businesses, data suggests. Even before Covid-19, just 60 per cent of garments were sold at full price, creating billions of dollars of lost revenues. Smart product design has the potential to eliminate production waste and reduce pollution across the processing phase, helping businesses save money.

Circularity would also be good for the climate. Switching to more circular business models, including fashion rentals, re-commerce, repair and refurbishment, could help the industry cut around 143 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2030.

A green recovery

A UNEP study recently found that in order to make the fashion industry more sustainable, there needs to be stronger “governance” of the sector, more financing for planet-friendly innovations and a concerted effort to change the consumption habits of consumers.

Several promising initiatives are already helping with the latter. Through a smartphone app, Ireland-based Nuw allows users to swap rarely worn clothes instead of tossing them away. In the Philippines, apparel company Phinix collects waste textiles and transforms them into footwear and bags. Their products have just 10 per cent of the carbon footprint of regular apparel. Finally, by upcycling and avoiding plastic packaging, among other things, Brazil fashion house Refazenda has eliminated its solid waste.

UNEP is creating a roadmap to help other textile companies follow the lead of those businesses. Set to be released in June 2021, it will showcase concrete actions that textile companies can adopt to green their business.

Source: UNEP

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