Adnan Amin (UAE), member of the Global Energy Prize International Award Committee, Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) gave a lecture within the framework of the Energy of Knowledge program of the Global Energy Association at Moscow State Institute of International Relations. He presented the report “Global Energy Transformation: A Roadmap to 2050”, initiated by IRENA.
The global trend of transition to renewable energy resources and enhancing of the energy efficiency is gaining momentum. In 2017, the share of electricity produced by RES accounted for 25% of the world total amount. For the first time in history, the volume of renewable power plants has exceeded the amount of traditional generation that was commissioned. The fact that, as of today, the development of green energy is going at unprecedented level. Moreover, global investment trends are showing this as well. Thus, the sum of new investments in the development of solar energy accounted for USD 160.8 bln in 2017, which exceeded the investment in coal and gas production (USD 103 bln). One of the main things that stimulate the development of renewable energy is the need to switch to decarbonization.
According to the data of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the rates of renewable energy need to be scaled up at least six times faster for the world to meet the decarbonization and climate mitigation goals set out in the Paris Agreement. According to its Director General, Adnan Amin, this measure will contribute to limit average global temperature rise within two degrees Celsius as well as ensure the reduction of CO2 emissions, produced by the energy sector, up to 90%.
“If we set ourselves a task to decarbonise global energy fast enough to solve world energy issues, renewables must account for at least two-thirds of total energy by 2050”, – emphasized Adnan Amin. – “This transformation will support positive social and economic outcomes all over the world, lifting millions out of energy poverty and stimulating sustainable job growth. Certainly, it will require considerable investment, replacement of the old infrastructure and the creation of an appropriate technological platform”.
According to the IRENA’s report, this path of the energy sphere development is more economically, socially and environmentally beneficial. Particularly, increasing energy system investment by 30% to 2050 in favour of renewable energy can create 11 million additional energy sector jobs. In such case,
the global economy would grow by 1% and global welfare, including benefits not captured by GDP, such as health benefits from reduced air pollution and reduced climate impacts, among others, would improve by 15%, compared to the current trajectory.
In addition, besides report’s presentation, Adnan Amin showcased his forecast of technological development of Russia’s fuel and energy complex in the context of world trends until 2030.
The “Nadezhnaya Smena” foundation is developing a similar forecast on the same topic. The solution development takes place in the format of competition among the teams of specialized universities and industry companies. As a result, 39 teams will present their ideas at the Russian Energy Week International Forum within the framework of the youth day.
At the end of the lecture, a Q&A session was held, and the author of the most interesting question, according to the speaker, received a gift from the Global Energy Association: a book published on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Global Energy Prize. The book is called “The Global Energy Prize: tribute to those who changed the world”. The heroes of this book are energy scientists: physicists, chemists, engineers, geologists, designers. All of them made breakthrough discoveries or developments in nuclear power engineering, heat engineering, semiconductors and development of non-traditional or renewable resources and were awarded the Global Energy Prize. They are people of a global level of tasks that they managed to solve. As a recall, the Energy of Knowledge project is a series of interactive lectures given by the laureates of the Global Energy Prize and other prominent energy scholars. The aim of the program is to raise interest in energy issues among young people and to unleash the potential of young researchers within the sector.
