During the UN Climate Summit in Paris, a group of NGOs including Bread for the World is asking governments: “are you in?” - as part of a brand new report and video showcasing how going 100% renewable tackles poverty and boosts development. The report is capturing colourful examples from Ecuador to Indonesia via Africa and the Middle East, featuring the stories of diverse champions including city mayors, villager leaders and business experts. The report and video were commissioned by Bread for the World, World Future Council, Hivos and Climate Action Network International and are endorsed by a number of development and environmental figureheads including Cornelia Füllkrug-Weitzel (President of Bread for the World), David Suzuki or Wanjira Mathai.
Our report and video show that harnessing 100% renewable energy is a great way to boost energy access for the poorest and most vulnerable people. Fighting poverty and protecting the climate can go hand in hand and scaling up renewable energy can benefit development programmes around the world.
COP21 in Paris is an opportunity for world leaders to show more ambition than before and to set a long term goal to go 100% Renewable by 2050. This would mean full decarbonisation of the world's economy by 2050. So far, it is the most vulnerable countries who take the lead.
On 30 November 2015 the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), a body founded in 2009 of 30 middle income, least developed and small island states highly vulnerable to climate change, jointly issued a historic declaration. They opened the prospect of high ambition agreements at COP21 with issuing the strongest call to date for full decarbonization of the world economy, 100% renewable energy by 2050, and zero emissions by mid-century in order to keep the world on track for below 1.5 degrees of warming. The most vulnerable are clearly in.
On 1 December 2015 the African Renewable Energy Initiative, designed to radically transform the continent's energy system by supporting low carbon development announced its plans to mobilise the African potential to generate 300 GW Renewable Energy by 2030. Would this be a major step? Well, Africa's current total energy output is 150 GW. This initiative aims for no less than installing twice the current total capacity by 2030 only with Renewables. If these 300GW are really installed and if they are foremost directed to all those 635 million people in Sub-Sahara Africa who still do not have access to electricity, then this initiative could lift hundreds of millions out of poverty. The African Renewable Energy Initiative is in.
Are you in?
