Full Title: REthinking Energy 2017: Accelerating the global energy transformation
Author(s): Rabia Ferroukhi (IRENA); Janet Sawin, Freyr Sverisson (Sunna Research)
Publisher(s): International Renewable Energy Agency
Publication Date: January 1, 2017
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Description (excerpt):
Renewable energy is a fundamental and growing part of the global energy transformation. Increasingly, renewables have become the first choice for expanding, upgrading and modernising power systems around the world.
REthinking Energy, the flagship report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), examines trends and developments in the global quest for a sustainable energy future. As this third edition emphasises, accelerated deployment will fuel economic growth, create new employment opportunities, enhance human welfare and contribute to a climate-safe future.
Renewables, consequently, are crucial for sustainable development, including the pursuit of SDG 7, the United Nations-adopted goal of ensuring “affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”.
Policies and regulations remain crucial to establish a stable and attractive market for renewable energy. Strong government commitment is needed to reduce risk and lower the cost of financing.
- To date, more than 170 countries have established renewable energy targets, and nearly 150 have enacted policies to catalyse investments in renewable energy technologies.
- At the end of 2016, at least 67 countries had held renewable energy auctions, compared to only six in 2005. Solar photovoltaics (PV) achieved new price lows in several countries.