Adopting clean energy is essential in the fight against climate change, caused primarily by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. International Day of Clean Energy proclaims a call to raise awareness and mobilize action for a just and inclusive transition to clean energy for the benefit of people and the planet, as declared by the U.N. General Assembly.
January 26 is also the founding date of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), a global intergovernmental agency established in 2009 to support countries in their energy transitions, serve as a platform for international cooperation, and provide data and analyses on clean energy technology, innovation, policy, finance and investment.
Renewable energy – powering a safer and prosperous future
According to the U.N., to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced by almost half by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. To achieve this, the world as a whole needs to curtail its reliance on fossil fuels and switch to clean sources of energy – solar energy foremost among these, followed by wind and hydropower. Sadly, the world is NOT on track to achieve U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 7, which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by the year 2030.
Important facts about the need for clean energy:
- Over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from burning fossil fuels for energy.
- Polluting fuels for cooking cause 3.2 million premature deaths annually; clean cooking can prevent many of these.
- Every $1 invested in renewables creates 3X more jobs than in the fossil fuel industry.
Focus on solar energy
The U.N. reports, “Solar energy is the most abundant of all energy resources and can even be harnessed in cloudy weather. The rate at which solar energy is intercepted by the Earth is about 10,000 times greater than the rate at which humankind consumes energy.”
“Solar technologies can deliver heat, cooling, natural lighting, electricity, and fuels for a host of applications. Solar technologies convert sunlight into electrical energy either through photovoltaic panels or through mirrors that concentrate solar radiation.”
“Although not all countries are equally endowed with solar energy, a significant contribution to the energy mix from direct solar energy is possible for every country.”
Clean energy for all
Consider these staggering facts, also per the U.N.:
- “In a world grappling with climate change, clean energy plays a vital role in reducing emissions, and can also benefit communities lacking access to reliable power sources. Still today, 666 million people live in the dark – more than 85% of them in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
- “The connection between clean energy, socio-economic development, and environmental sustainability is crucial in addressing issues faced by vulnerable communities worldwide.”
- “For populations without clean energy access, the lack of reliable power hinders education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, and many of these developing regions still rely heavily on polluting fossil fuels for their daily life, perpetuating poverty. An estimated 1.5 billion people in rural areas still use unsafe, unhealthy and inefficient cooking systems, such as burning wood or dung, and the number of people without clean cooking in Sub-Saharan Africa continues to rise at a rate of 14 million people yearly because of population growth.”
- “On a positive note, notable progress is being made on the transition to clean energy: installed renewables capacity per capita has continued to grow each year, reaching a new high of 341 watts per capita in developing countries, up from 155 watts in 2015.”
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https://www.un.org/en/observances/clean-energy-day
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change