Accelerating renewable energy for a climate-secure future

Problem

The power sector lies at the heart of modern societies. It generates the electricity that sustains our homes, schools, hospitals and businesses. But because the power sector currently relies on coal and gas, it is also the world’s number one contributor to climate change — producing more carbon emissions than any other sector, including transportation and industry. Transforming the global power sector to use renewable energy is the highest impact intervention that exists for our climate today. In the race to mitigate climate change, the power sector must cut emissions by more than 7.7 billion metric tons by 2030 — the equivalent of annual emissions from China and the US combined.

Big Idea

ReNew2030 is a global coalition that’s dedicated to scaling renewable energy so the world can meet its climate goals. This is a moment of unprecedented opportunity, in which the technological and economic conditions for a swift and equitable global energy transition are in place. Wind and solar energy are now cheaper than fossil fuels almost everywhere in the world, and the technologies to make them a reliable energy source have been proven, even when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow. By mobilizing governments, businesses and communities around the world, ReNew2030 aims to scale wind and solar power capacity five times by 2030 in the 30 countries responsible for over 80% of power sector emissions. This will put us on the path to a future where all people have access to climate-friendly power, improving energy security, creating new jobs and delivering enormous health and economic benefits.

Plan

The urgency and scale of this challenge demands a global effort. Hosted by the European Climate Foundation, ReNew2030 is a network of national and international partners that includes The African Climate Foundation, Energy Foundation China, US Energy Foundation, Iniciativa Climática de México, Instituto Clima e Sociedade, The Sunrise Project and Tara Climate Foundation. Together, ReNew2030 will engage in advocacy, research, diplomacy and organizing, while also mobilizing the corporate sector and financial system to accelerate the shift. It will support robust, locally-led national efforts in the countries with the highest current and projected energy sector emissions — and it will also drive investment in the Global South, which will account for 75% of the projected global increase in electricity demand by 2050. Around the world, ReNew2030 will rally stakeholders around a shared vision, while respecting the need for local partners to adapt strategies suited to their geography.

Why will it Succeed?

ReNew2030 is a new name, but it builds on a network of partners who have been working on scaling renewable energy for many years. This coalition has been impactful by working simultaneously at the local, national and transnational levels. To date, ReNew2030 partners have influenced transformative power sector policy in the US, EU, China, Southeast Asia and been at the forefront of efforts to ensure just transitions around the world. Using its road-tested ecosystem approach and the momentum of these wins, ReNew2030 is poised for its next phase of impact.