After Durban, the renewable energy transformation continues16 December 2011
There were hundreds of events and workshops on renewable energy during the two week climate negotiations in Durban - including our own.
We were promoting our ideas on how to transform the global energy system from fossil fuel dependency to renewable energy.
There was a lot of enthusiasm from developed and developing countries, industry representatives, and other groups.
Why we need to switch
- Burning dirty fossil fuels for energy is a key cause of climate change.
- Renewable energy could supply electricity to 1.3 billion people who currently go without.
The impact of the talks on renewables
The negotiations did not help to promote a renewable, affordable future. They delayed decisions on 2 key issues which affect renewable technology:
- Intellectual property rights
- How trade rules impact environmental regulation
Also, the weak emissions targets provide little incentive to abandon dirty fossil fuels.
Moving forward despite the talks
But, even without a strong and fair agreement, we can still tackle climate change by moving away from dirty fossil fuels.
In many countries, renewable energy is already cheaper than fossil fuels, especially in remote rural areas.
The UK Government can lead the way by supporting a pilot project in a developing country and showing the energy transformation is possible.
Discuss this news and other issues on our international climate hub.
© orangejon
