PRESS RELEASES
Here you can find copies of press releases for key REN21 publications over the past three years. Where available, translated versions of the press release are also listed. Press releases are listed in reverse chronological order
Energy transition is stalling amidst growing demand, regional disparities, and inaction on heat and fuels
Renewables in Energy Supply Module – 2024 Renewables Global Status Report – June 2024
“Despite record deployments in the power sector, renewables are still struggling to keep pace with growing global demand for energy, while little progress is being made in the transition to renewable heat and fuels. Renewables are being held back by wide disparities in investments and focus across different energy carriers, regions and technologies; inadequate policy integration to align energy consumption and supply; and delays in infrastructure development.”
Renewables face uphill battle in all major energy consuming sectors
Renewables in Energy Demand Module – 2024 Renewables Global Status Report – May 2024
“Recent progress in the uptake of renewables in the global energy consumption is stalling as governments fail to deliver the systemic reforms, integrated strategic planning and policy alignment needed to transform the way buildings, industry, transport and agriculture use energy. ”
Persistent obstacles prevent renewables from keeping pace with rising energy demand, leading to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions
Global Overview of the Renewables 2024 Global Status Report – April 2024
“Policy responses to geopolitical developments and global commitments accelerated the deployment and use of renewable energy in 2023, especially in the power sector. The historic decision at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) to triple renewable energy capacity and double annual energy efficiency improvements by 2030 further raised ambition and built momentum for renewables. Growing leadership and appetite for renewables in developing countries is clear, but finance remains a major obstacle. Renewables are increasing in the overall energy mix, but they are not replacing coal, oil and gas at the required pace for various reasons: the overall demand for energy is rising fast, renewable energy projects are significantly more expensive in developing countries and large bottlenecks persist in permitting, infrastructure and connecting renewables to grids. ”
Available in: Arabic | Chinese | English | French | German | Spanish
Record growth in renewables, but world missed historic chance for a clean energy recovery
Renewables 2022 Global Status Report – June 2022
“Despite the promise of a worldwide green recovery in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic, this historic opportunity has been lost. REN21’s Renewables 2022 Global Status Report (GSR 2022) sends a clear warning that the global clean energy transition is not happening, making it unlikely that the world will be able to meet critical climate goals this decade. The second half of 2021 saw the beginning of the biggest energy crisis in modern history, exacerbated by the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 and unprecedented global commodity shock.”
Make renewables a key performance indicator in all economic activities
Renewables 2021 Global Status Report – June 2021
“2020 could have been a gamechanger. Economies worldwide were ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. Primary energy demand fell by 4%. But even with this historic decline, G20 countries, the planet’s biggest polluters, barely met or even missed their unambitious renewable energy targets. But the benefits of renewables in terms of health, climate and job creation are indisputable. REN21’s Renewables 2021 Global Status Report published today shows that we are nowhere near the necessary paradigm shift towards a clean, healthier and more equitable energy future.”
Available in: EN | DE | ES | FR | PT | ZH | JA | KO | EL | ID | VI | TR
Cities can change the game in the fight against emissions and air pollution
Renewables in Cities 2021 Global Status Report – March 2021
“The pandemic has thrown into stark relief the global battle of cities for cleaner air and a better future. The 2021 edition of REN21’s Renewables in Cities Global Status Report, the only stock-taking of cities’ energy transition efforts worldwide, shows that one billion people live in cities with a renewable energy target or policy. The number of cities that have enforced partial or complete bans on fossil fuels jumped fivefold in 2020. With their impact at scale, cities are our best bet to plan, develop and build a renewable future. But all too often their potential for transformation remains massively underused.”
Available in: EN | DE | ES | FR | PT | ZH | JA | KO | EL | ID
We need a Total Fossil Lockdown for a Climate Revolution
Renewables 2020 Global Status Report – June 2020
REN21 Report shows renewables’ progress limited to power sector.
“Growth in renewable power has been impressive over the past five years. But too little is happening in heating, cooling and transport. Overall, global hunger for energy keeps increasing and eats up progress, according to REN21’s Renewables 2020 Global Status Report (GSR), released today. The journey towards climate disaster continues, unless we make an immediate switch to efficient and renewable energy in all sectors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Cities Lead Fight against Climate Change and for Renewable Energy, GlobalReport Reveals
Renewables in Cities 2019 Global Status Report – November 2019
“It might come as a surprise to some, but it is a pattern that we now find everywhere in the world: Cities are driving the transition towards renewable energy. They understand that renewables mean less lung and heart diseases, more local jobs and relief for the municipal budget,” says Rana Adib, REN21’s Executive Secretary, at the presentation of their first Renewables in Cities 2019 Global Status Report (REC-GSR) in Paris. “If cities alone were to decide, today’s climate and energy politics would look totally different.”
Available for Africa ( EN | FR ), Asia ( EN ), Europe ( EN | DE | ES | FR ), Latin America ( EN | ES ) and North America ( EN )
Energising our Future: Taking the renewable energy conversation to Asia
KIREC – 2019
REN21’s 8th International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC) starts today in the Republic of Korea. Named after the host country, KIREC Seoul 2019 is a three-day policy conference (23-25 October) that will move the momentum forward by gathering different perspectives to generate dialogue on how to accelerate renewable energy uptake.
Available in: EN
Political inaction on sustainable energy policies to blame for lack of progress on UN climate & development goals
Renewables 2019 Global Status Report – June 2019
Political inaction on sustainable energy policies to blame for lack of progress on UN climate & development goals. Renewables now supply more than a quarter (26%) of global electricity production but current trends in the sector show that bolder policy decisions are needed across all end-use sectors to make our energy systems sustainable.
Renewables Rising: SADC region now with over 21,000 MW of installed renewable energy capacity but more is needed
SADC Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Status Report – December 2018
Since 2015 the SADC region has seen an increase in the number and quality of its renewable energy and energy efficiency policies, demonstrating a growing commitment to renewable energy and energy efficiency. Progress, however, is undermined by the continued development of traditional, nonrenewable energy sources such as coal to satisfy rapidly increasing demand for electricity.
Available in EN
G20 Countries Must Act Quickly to Decarbonise The Transport Sector
Towards Decarbonising Transport (2018) – November 2018
According to a new report, CO2 emissions from transport are still rising. If immediate action is not taken, more radical measures will be unavoidable in the future. Transport emissions in the G20 make up more than two-thirds of the global total, and G20 emission levels continue to grow (though not as quickly as the rest of the world). For this reason, the report says, the G20 nations must take the lead when it comes to breaking old habits.
Transformation is picking up speed in the power sector, but urgent action is required in heating, cooling and transport
Renewables 2018 Global Status Report – June 2018
Renewable power accounted for 70% of net additions to global power generating capacity in 2017, the largest increase in renewable power capacity in modern history, according to REN21’s Renewables 2018 Global Status Report (GSR). But the heating, cooling and transport sectors – which together account for about four-fifths of global final energy demand – continue to lag far behind the power sector.
Available in: EN | AR | CHI | DE | EL | ES | FA | FR | JP | KO | PT | RS | VN
Renewable Energy Policies in a Time of Transition
April 2018
Spurred by innovation, increased competition, and policy support in a growing number of countries, renewable energy technologies have achieved massive technological advances and sharp cost reductions. Renewables have come to the forefront of the global energy transition, with nearly every country adopting a renewable energy target.
Available in EN
International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC) held for the first time in Latin America
Renewable Energy Tenders and Community [En]power[ment] – September 2017
Tenders have been a particularly popular mechanism in Latin America and the Caribbean in attracting record-setting participation. However an unintended consequence has been the de facto exclusion of a range of actors; including small business, communities, indigenous people, local government, property developers and farmers.
Another Record Breaking Year for Renewable Energy: More renewable energy capacity for less money
Renewables 2017 Global Status Report – June 2017
Additions in installed renewable power capacity set new records in 2016, with 161 gigawatts (GW) installed, increasing total global capacity by almost 9% over 2015, to nearly 2,017 GW. Solar PV accounted for around 47% of the capacity added, followed by wind power at 34% and hydropower at 15.5%.
Available in EN | AR | ES | FA | FR | DE | GRE | JP | KO | PT | RS | VN |
Investment in renewable energy still lacking in 17 countries in South and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia
UNECE Renewable Energy Status Report 2017 – June 2017
The 17 UNECE countries in South and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia represented only 0.2% or USD 0.4 billion of global renewable energy investment in 2015 despite comprising over 300 million inhabitants and representing 4.9% of the world’s GDP Attracting investment represents a major challenge in these countries, even with numerous advanced support schemes and policies for renewable energy present.
REN21 launches “Renewables Global Futures Report: Great debates towards 100% renewable energy”
2017 Renewables Global Futures Report – April 2017
As sustainable energy experts from around the world gathered at the Sustainable Energy for All Forum in New York this week, the REN21 multi-stakeholder network released its latest report on the feasibility and challenges of achieving a 100% renewable energy future. The report analyses the views of 114 renowned energy experts from every region of the world, interviewed over the course of 2016. The results are clustered under topics defined as “12 Great Debates.”
Available in EN
