Several countries are already close to achieving 100% RES: Iceland, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Norway, Nicaragua, Scotland.
Many countries are already on this path. Fifty-three countries have targets for the transition to 100% RES in certain sectors (mainly in electricity generation).
Sweden and Denmark have already approved official energy strategies for the transition to 100% RES in all sectors by 2050.
In addition, 247 cities and 33 individual states and regions have also set targets for the transition to 100% renewables.
More about this you can read in the report written by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), «Towards 100% Renewable Energy» (2019).
The transformation to a renewables-based energy system is already under way, reports’ authors state. The last decade has seen the cost of renewable energy decline continuously, making it cost-competitive compared to conventional energy in many parts of the world. Since 2009, the module prices for solar photovoltaics (PV) have fallen by around 80%, while wind turbine prices have declined by 30-40%, making the business case for renewable energy stronger than ever before (IRENA, 2017).
In addition to offering an affordable source of energy, renewables provide a wide range of socioeconomic and environmental benefits. The transformation to a 100% renewable energy system1 in all end-uses would generate millions of new jobs, bring significant welfare gains in the form of health benefits from cleaner air and water, as well as increase energy independence and economic growth, as shown in various studies (IRENA, 2018a; Energy Watch Group and the Lappeenranta University of Technology, forthcoming; University of Technology Sydney, upcoming).
One of the most crucial benefits of transitioning to a 100% renewable energy system is the resulting considerable reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report (2019) leaves no doubt about the urgency of limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5°C compared to preindustrial levels – in line with efforts required by the Paris Agreement. To achieve this global warming limit, the IPCC highlights the need for a rapid energy transformation based on a significant increase of renewables (IPCC, 2018).
More than 50 countries and hundreds of cities and regions worldwide are committed to some form of 100% renewable energy target. Several companies are already covering all or most of their electricity demand from renewables, and others are likewise setting renewables targets for transport and/or heating and cooling. Some investors have made environment and sustainability actions a prerequisite for investment, thus creating an additional incentive for companies to disengage from conventional sources.
To further speed up the transformation of the energy system and facilitate further discussion, the IRENA Coalition for Action has conducted a global mapping of 100% renewable energy targets and put together several case studies from national, regional, city and island levels to illustrate different paths to a 100% renewable energy transformation. They show no one-size-fits-all approach to achieving 100% renewable energy and that targets and enabling frameworks need to be adjusted to local circumstances. In general, reaching a 100% renewable energy system will require further analysis and dialogue on what is needed on the national and sub-national levels regarding target setting, policies, and planning. The IRENA Coalition for Action is convinced that tailor-made solutions for achieving 100% renewable energy can be developed for every country, state, region, city, or company.
The Coalition for Action declares that it stands ready to work with policymakers, industry, and civil society on the road to 100% renewable energy.
