A new and comprehensive report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation has been produced by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The paper predicts that the costs of renewable energy will fall in coming years due to technological advances. At the same time, solar, wind and other clean energy sources will surge in demand and eventually account for the vast majority of overall energy use.
What’s more, the draft report says that the increased demand is likely to continue “even without new measures to promote a shift from fossil fuels”, as part of the fight against climate change.
The IPCC found that under most scenarios projected, there will be a “substantial increase in the deployment of renewable energy by 2030, 2050 and beyond.” However, the report projected that the biggest percentage renewables will power the world by in 2050 is likely to be 77%.
The IPCC report covers the future potential of renewable energy for the mitigation of climate change, and focuses on the six most important energy technologies. In addition, it takes into account the environmental, social, financial and technological ramifications of developing these clean technologies.
Apparently, the findings of the report come from over 120 researchers working with the IPCC, and 160 scenarios on the potential of the six renewable energy technologies were reviewed by a global team of technological experts and scientists. This special report will feed into the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report, due in September 2014.
The six energy technologies reviewed in the report are: bioengery, direct solar energy, geothermal energy, hydropower, ocean energy, wind energy.
Although the report shows a very positive outlook for renewable energy, at 77%, do you think the IPCC is could be underestimating the percentage the world could be powered by renewable energy by 2050?
Image: afloresm
2 comments… add one