Technology race is the biggest obstacle for energy transition – energy industry

Technology race is the biggest obstacle for energy transition – energy industry shutterstock
Katerina Belousova

62% of respondents believe that the UN sustainable development goal of basic access to "green" energy is insufficient

According to 46% of global energy leaders, national interests or a green technology arms race are the biggest obstacles to the energy transition.

This was shown by the survey of the World Energy Council (WEC) World Energy Pulse, reports Power Technology.

It is noted that more than 700 managers and decision-makers in the energy sector took part in the survey. 52% of respondents were from Europe and 23% from South America.

The material said that 84% of the respondents admitted that "energy interdependence" has become a global reality. And about 64% of people believe that the current pace of implementation of renewable energy technologies is too slow to achieve the goals of the Paris climate agreement.

VER emphasized that, compared to 2022, this indicator has doubled.

The study also found that 59% of respondents believe that energy independence is necessary to achieve national energy security goals.

Angela Wilkinson, Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer of VER, said the findings of the study demonstrate that the world's energy system is no longer fit for purpose. Investing more money and technology in complex systemic changes is not enough for a faster and fairer energy transition. Inclusive implementation is necessary.

She also urged leaders to humanize energy, which will be key to the energy transition in the new context of low trust and growing fragmentation.

The article added that, according to 62% of respondents, the UN sustainable development goal regarding basic access to green energy is insufficient. Instead, basic access to better energy for sustainable development is a pressing need.

In addition, 39% of survey participants believe that aligning the financial system with sustainable development goals is the most critical implementation gap to accelerate energy transitions.

Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that at the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) the ranking of countries on readiness for the green transition was published.

As EcoPolitic previously reported, the annual report of the International Renewable Energy Agency IRENA showed that in 2022 the global capacity of green energy increased by 9.6% (295 GW) and reached 3,372 GW.

Related
The EU bans inverters from China due to serious national security risks
The EU bans inverters from China due to serious national security risks

If it chooses to, the Chinese government could control hundreds of gigawatts of European energy

5 June — Environment Day: what can save the planet from the climate crisis
5 June — Environment Day: what can save the planet from the climate crisis

The UN is calling for a reduction in emissions and a shift towards clean energy technologies

The world needs to invest $1 a year in the energy sector to combat global warming – IRENA
The world needs to invest $1 a year in the energy sector to combat global warming – IRENA

In addition to clean energy generation, we need to step up the pace of development in the energy storage sector

Renewable energy is gradually catching up with fossil fuels in the EU industry – Eurostat data
Renewable energy is gradually catching up with fossil fuels in the EU industry – Eurostat data

Despite declines in other segments, the share of renewable energy continues to grow