Young leaders from around the world issued a clear call for action at the 2022 IRENA Youth Forum. Held under the theme ‘Youth-led solutions to accelerate the energy transition and achieve climate objectives’ on the sidelines of the recently concluded 12th Assembly of IRENA, over 400 young energy leaders gathered virtually and called on organisations, governments, private sector, academia and civil society to take urgent action to ensure that the energy transition is led by the youth.

Addressing young delegates in his opening keynote, IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera, said: “As we come together today to hear and learn about concrete actions and innovative solutions from and for youth, I encourage you to continue embodying these ideals in your actions. IRENA is with you at every step of the way.”

Emphasising the role of young people in combating climate change, Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, said in her welcoming remarks, it is clear by now that the youth’s involvement and leadership play a pivotal role in realising a just and inclusive sustainable energy transition. “Collectively and individually, your innovations will help develop renewables that accelerate the energy transition and put the world on a path to meet climate targets. Our promise to you is that we will have the highest levels of youth participation in delegations to the COP28 that the UAE will host,” the minister added.

Opening the 3rd edition of the Forum, moderator Lydia Sanz Lozano, introduced the panel with a strong statement: “Today we represent youth from all around the world. As we gather here to talk about the power of renewable energy and to promote an inclusive energy transition for all, our goal is to bring together young voices. We not only bring urgency to the climate debate but also bring solutions and the willingness to cooperate as stakeholders.”

The Forum featured a presentation on the outcome of the Global Youth Energy Outlook report by Student Energy, a youth-led international organisation empowering young people to accelerate the sustainable energy transition. Sharing outcomes from the report, Helen Watts, Senior Director of Global Partnership, Student Energy, pointed that the majority of youth respondents want their country to reach net zero emissions by 2030. “While more and more countries set net zero targets for 2050 or 2100, it is clear their youth want their countries to decarbonise faster with immediate action to bend the curve on emissions,” she added.

Despite the barriers that the youth face, they continue to provide creative sustainable energy solutions and strive for a more sustainable future. Citing one such example, Esther Wanza, Field Operations Coordinator, RAYNOW Energy shared a start-up success story in implementing a 3 Kw solar PV project with 2.5 kW storage that enables a health centre in Kenya to see more than 60 patients a day. “The project is something to smile about,” she said.

The Forum also discussed the need to invest in skill development in the renewable energy sector. “We have enough solar, wind and biomass to power Africa but we lack the trainers that can pass this knowledge on to the younger generations. Skill development needs to be up-scaled in order to make young people employable, especially in the renewable energy market,” Victoria Edeha-Anthony, Founder of D’Young Energy and Youth Sustainable Energy Hub Representative, pointed out.

In a special video message addressing the Forum, Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, UAE Minister of Youth, said education is key to addressing climate change as it can encourage the youth to change their attitudes and behaviour and can help them to make informed decisions. “Education must become more relevant to the biggest challenge our world is facing right now. Everything we learn must be seen through the eco lens,” she said.

In his closing remarks, Ibrahim Togola, President of Mali-Folke Center Nyetaa, stressed the need for a stronger government policy framework. “Regulations hold the key to accelerate energy transition. Governments across the African continent and many other developing countries are working towards drafting robust policy frameworks to increase the generation of renewable energy.”

Young leaders welcomed the realisation of the youth initiatives announced by IRENA for 2022, including the launch of the Global Council on Enabling Youth Action for SDG7, a training programme for young climate and energy leaders, launched in response to the request of the Youth4Climate Pre-COP in Milan, and educational activities, including teacher training support.

In a milestone for the environment, Europeans purchased more electric cars than those powered by diesel last month. According to recent data, over 20 per cent of new cars sold in Europe and the United Kingdom (UK) in December 2021 were electric. Meanwhile, the sale of diesel vehicles in the European Union (EU) slipped below 19 per cent.

While many developed nations have pledged to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles in the next 20 years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the transition will be more complicated in developing countries where old imported cars are often the most affordable option. A 2020 report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) found that the three largest exporters of used vehicles – Europe, Japan and the United States exported 14 million used light-duty vehicles worldwide between 2015 and 2018.

We spoke to Rob de Jong, head of the Sustainable Mobility Unit at UNEP, to find out more about the rise in electric vehicle sales and what can be done to support this transition globally. 

What could the increase in electric vehicle sales mean for Europe in regards to air pollution and emissions reductions?

Rob De Jong (RDJ): This trend shows that consumers are keenly interested in shifting to cleaner vehicles due to a combination of factors. The first is economic incentives. Electric vehicle subsidies were (and often still are) very high at several thousands of dollars per vehicle, although governments are slowly reducing these subsidies as they become more mainstream.

Second, diesel vehicle sales have continued to decline since we discovered that actual emissions were much higher than we thought – after some manufacturers were caught cheating on emissions tests. Meanwhile, the sale of electric vehicles globally has doubled every year, with the highest growth rates in Europe. The leader is Norway, where 80 per cent of all new vehicles are currently being sold are fully electric.

This has massive benefits for pollutant and climate emissions as diesel vehicles are a leading contributor to small particulate emissions pollution, so-called PM 2.5, which has major health impacts. In contrast, electric vehicles have no tailpipe and therefore no exhaust emissions. Air pollution and the climate change characteristics of the electricity source are also critical factors. 

What kind of regulatory framework and infrastructure helped Europe to reach this goal? 

RDJ: Many European countries used subsidies for new and used electric vehicles, whilst others set dates in the near future for the complete phase-out of petrol vehicles (for example, UK 2030). Most countries have introduced a network of charging stations, allowing for fast charging of electric vehicles, and some cities banned the entry of old diesel vehicles in their city centres. Awareness campaigns have also helped to inform consumers.

The introduction of electric vehicles goes hand in hand with the decarbonization of the electricity grid – more electricity is generated from renewable sources such as wind and solar, making electric vehicles more and more climate-friendly. At the same time, manufacturers are rapidly increasing the number of electric models available in the market. A few years ago, only a few models were available. Today, almost all major brands have multiple electric vehicle models. Some brands have set a date after which they will only sell electric vehicles, and they are getting cheaper, while specifications such as range are improving.

Can developing countries aspire to do the same, or must they follow a different pathway? 

RDJ: To achieve the targets of the Paris Agreement, we have to switch to zero-emissions mobility worldwide. We should not forget that we also need to better design our cities and promote walking, cycling, and public transport. In 2050 globally, two out of three vehicles will be found in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), so we must also include LMICs in shifting to zero-emissions mobility. We can’t afford for developed countries to switch while developing countries continue using fossil fuel vehicles.

There are many good reasons for LMICs to make the shift. It is predicted that the number of vehicles in LMICs will grow by 1 billion by 2050. So, we can still avoid a major increase in fossil-fueled vehicles by putting in place the right measures. Building local manufacturing capacity for e-mobility, such as manufacturing and assembling electric motorcycles locally, can also create green jobs. A relatively large share of the climate emissions of some LMICs come from the transport sector, so introducing zero-emission e-mobility will be key to achieving national climate targets.

In addition, LMICs have the highest urbanization rates – cities are growing rapidly. Switching to low- and no-emissions mobility now can help prevent major air pollution in many megacities. As cities around the world have shown – fixing this later is much more difficult -and costly- than preventing it in the first place.

How is UNEP helping countries make the shift to e-mobility?

RDJ: UNEP is implementing a major global programme to support LMICs in joining the global switch to zero-emissions e-mobility. Largely funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), UNEP’s Global Electric Mobility Programme is supporting more than 50 LMICs by developing policies and standards, accessing financing, and developing local industry. It also provides technical support, creates regional platforms with suppliers and financiers, and implements regional training programmes.

UNEP

Global electricity demand surged in 2021, creating strains in major markets, pushing prices to unprecedented levels and driving the power sector’s emissions to a record high. Electricity is central to modern life and clean electricity is pivotal to energy transitions, but in the absence of faster structural change in the sector, rising demand over the next three years could result in additional market volatility and continued high emissions, according an IEA report released today.

Driven by the rapid economic rebound, and more extreme weather conditions than in 2020, including a colder than average winter, last year’s 6% rise in global electricity demand was the largest in percentage terms since 2010 when the world was recovering from the global financial crisis. In absolute terms, last year’s increase of over 1 500 terawatt-hours was the largest ever, according to the January 2022 edition of the IEA’s semi-annual Electricity Market Report.

The steep increase in demand outstripped the ability of sources of electricity supply to keep pace in some major markets, with shortages of natural gas and coal leading to volatile prices, demand destruction and negative effects on power generators, retailers and end users, notably in China, Europe and India. Around half of last year’s global growth in electricity demand took place in China, where demand grew by an estimated 10%. China and India suffered from power cuts at certain points in the second half of the year because of coal shortages.

“Sharp spikes in electricity prices in recent times have been causing hardship for many households and businesses around the world and risk becoming a driver of social and political tensions,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “Policy makers should be taking action now to soften the impacts on the most vulnerable and to address the underlying causes. Higher investment in low-carbon energy technologies including renewables, energy efficiency and nuclear power – alongside an expansion of robust and smart electricity grids – can help us get out of today’s difficulties.”

The IEA’s price index for major wholesale electricity markets almost doubled compared with 2020 and was up 64% from the 2016-2020 average. In Europe, average wholesale electricity prices in the fourth quarter of 2021 were more than four times their 2015-2020 average.  Besides Europe, there were also sharp price increases in Japan and India, while they were more moderate in the United States where gas supplies were less perturbed.

Electricity produced from renewable sources grew by 6% in 2021, but it was not enough to keep up with galloping demand. Coal-fired generation grew by 9%, serving more than half of the increase in demand and reaching a new all-time peak as high natural gas prices led to gas-to-coal switching. Gas-fired generation grew by 2%, while nuclear increased by 3.5%, almost reaching its 2019 levels. In total, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power generation rose by 7%, also reaching a record high, after having declined the two previous years.

“Emissions from electricity need to decline by 55% by 2030 to meet our Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario, but in the absence of major policy action from governments, those emissions are set to remain around the same level for the next three years,” said Dr Birol. “Not only does this highlight how far off track we currently are from a pathway to net zero emissions by 2050, but it also underscores the massive changes needed for the electricity sector to fulfil its critical role in decarbonising the broader energy system.”

For 2022-2024, the report anticipates electricity demand growing 2.7% a year on average, although the Covid-19 pandemic and high energy prices bring some uncertainty to this outlook. Renewables are set to grow by 8% per year on average, serving more than 90% of net demand growth during this period. We expect nuclear-based generation to grow by 1% annually during the same period.

As a consequence of slowing electricity demand growth and significant renewables additions, fossil fuel-based generation is expected to stagnate in the coming years, with coal-fired generation falling slightly as phase-outs and declining competitiveness in the United States and Europe are balanced by growth in markets like China and India. Gas-fired generation is seen growing by around 1% a year.