Citation
Leal-Filho, W. (2015), "World energy outlook emphasises the need for low-carbon energy developments", International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, Vol. 7 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-08-2015-0123
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
World energy outlook emphasises the need for low-carbon energy developments
Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, Volume 7, Issue 4
Welcome to a further issue of IJCCSM, where we are happy to present a further set of interesting papers on climate change management from different parts of the world. In this editorial, I would like to refer to the International Energy Agency (IEA), which has published a special report as part of its World Energy Outlook series, assessing the effect of recent low-carbon energy developments and the climate pledges proposed by various countries.
According to the report, renewables accounted for nearly half of all new power generation capacity in 2014, led by growth in China, the USA, Japan and Germany, with investment remaining strong (at $270 billion) and costs continuing to fall. The energy intensity of the global economy dropped by 2.3 per cent in 2014, more than double the average rate of fall over the past decade, a result stemming from improved energy efficiency and structural changes in some economies, such as China.
The report finds that while global energy-related emissions did not grow in 2014 (for the first time outside an economic crisis in 40 years), national policies are not going far enough to avert catastrophic climate change. Governments will need to ramp up efforts, review their pledges regularly, set realistic and attainable longer-term goals and track their progress.
The IEA report also proposes the adoption of five measures that would achieve a near-term peak in global energy-related emissions, while maintaining momentum for stronger national efforts.
The full report is available for download on the IEA website and the RTCC (Responding to Climate Change) blog has also provided a concise, graphic summary of the report findings, at: http://www.rtcc.org/2015/06/15/greening-the-world-energy-mix-in-9-graphs/
IJCCSM will continue to report on developments in this field and many papers on carbon-friendly methods are now being reviewed for possible publication.
Enjoy your reading!
Walter Leal-Filho
HAW Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany