This report provides a comprehensive overview of the renewable energy market, industry, investment and policy developments worldwide. It covers recent developments, current status, and key trends; by design, it does not provide analysis or forecast. Prepared by REN21, a global renewable energy policy multi-stakeholder network, the report relies on up-to-date renewable energy data, provided by an international network of more than 500 contributors, researchers, and authors. This report, covering the year 2013, focuses on:
- Expansion of supporting policies in developing economies;
- Additions to electricity generating capacity;
- Progress made in renewables heating and cooling;
- Shifts in investments;
- Leaders in renewable energy deployment; and
- Evolution of the renewable energy field in the last decade.
This report was launched during China’s Twelfth Five-year Period (2011-2015). After revising the measurement system of the Green Development Index 2011, the report measures the green development level of 30 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions as well as 38 large and medium-sized cities in China. A Public Satisfaction Survey of the Urban Residents is first introduced into the report. Both the province and the city Green Development Index systems consist of three parts, the green degree of economic growth, the carrying potential of natural resources and environment, and the support degree of government policies. The three parts reflect the production and resource usage efficiency, the situation of environment and resources protection and pollutants emission, and government’s related investment and management respectively. The China Green Development Index Report 2012 has the comprehensive evaluation of the green economy development in China and its importance to China’s rational development and switch in economic development model.
The green growth paradigm emerged from evolving global strategies that coherently promote a more socially inclusive, low-carbon, resource-efficient, stable economy, with decreasing poverty. Opportunities and challenges associated with the paradigm shift are expected to transform the travel and tourism (travelism) sector in all respects and on a global scale. This involves the transformation of the entire travelism value chain, as well as the communities in tourism destinations. However, there is a lack of systematic reports on wide-ranging and complex implications of the green growth paradigm for the travelism sector.
Renewable energy (RE) sources are key to the global transition to a low carbon economy. Yet their reach and growth trajectory is not yet at the scale required to respond effectively to the climate challenge. This report focuses on how to unlock the power of clean energy by exploring the conditions needed to stimulate greater private sector investment in renewable energy. It draws on insights provided from 18 Fortune Global 500 companies that currently buy, or generate onsite, renewable energy and are looking to expand such investments.
In this paper, the authors explore the many successful strategies and measures for climate resilience and low carbon development that communities and leaders have pursued at the subnational level. They draw on the rich and practical experiences of CDKN’s project partners and the broader ICLEI network.
They argue that the battle for climate compatible development will be won or lost in provinces, districts and cities. There are distinct challenges at subnational level– for example, future climate data for local and subnational levels is more uncertain than at larger scales, and subnational decision-makers face intense local pressure to act on the negative impacts of climate extremes and disasters. There are also unique opportunities. Subnational decision-makers often have a sound understanding of climate trends in their area, based on first-hand experience and local and indigenous knowledge. They have a good sense of solutions that are effective in the local context and they have the ability to mobilise local resources for implementation, including people’s time and knowledge.
Part of the challenge of implementing green financial regulation is that there is currently very little analysis on green financial regulatory incentives. A crucial condition for achieving the 2° climate target is mobilizing capital for green investment. One estimate suggests a necessary cumulative investment of $36-$42 tn until 2030, or the equivalent of roughly $2 tn annually, to realize climate targets. Current investment levels however are only roughly $359 bn annually, giving rise to a 'green investment gap'. This study constitutes the first comprehensive overview of the range of instruments available to policymakers to align the financial sector with 2°investment scenarios.